This is from my own devotion using 2024 Devotions Week 35.
SECTION 1
- “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy …” This is not a demand but a call by Paul, standing equal to us, to us to respond to God’s mercy. Why not a hard command? Does this mean that it is optional?
Of course from the way it is worded we should understand it to be a command; how can we refuse God of what is good and pleasing? It cannot be optional. But in Scripture we know that God desires our voluntary surrender and submission, entrusting ourselves to his goodness. What is good and proper is that we entrust ourselves to him in view of his mercy, not in view of his wrath. It is pleasing to God when we respond to his love. Paul takes his place among us as one of us to urge us to do what is right.
- “ … to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God …” Do you think Paul intends “bodies” to imply the whole person—body, soul, spirit, mind, heart—or he wants to focus particularly on the physical body? Why? What do you think are the implications of his use of each of these words: “living”, “sacrifice”, “holy” and “pleasing”?
I think so but since he said bodies there must be an emphasis on the physical. This is not to be a metaphorical surrender, or a surrender on principle; this is to be a surrender expressed in concrete terms in our life. Also the focus on bodies points us away from our frequent obsession on the external results of our actions, our service and our accomplishments. Living: it is positive and productive, not beating us into submission or becoming nothing by denying who we are; Sacrifice: it is a surrender of our will, a subordination of our will to God’s will; Holy: the actual meaning is separate or consecrated and so the sense here is exclusivity, not contaminated by the false gods of this world; Pleasing: the focus is on God, making him happy and satisfied with us.
- “ … this is your true and proper worship.” What do you think this implies in relation to our practice of worship on Sundays?
This is where our focus should be and the practice of worship on Sundays should flow out of the fruit of our submission and transformation. Our surrender should result in the transformation of our self so that more and more the ritualistic actions of formal worship are more and more a true reflection of the reality in our heart and mind and the shape of our everyday life.
SECTION 2
- “Do not conform to the pattern of this world …” True and proper worship of God is to turn away from the gods of this world. Do you think Paul is telling us to just refuse to live like everyone else? What do you think is at the core of the pattern of this world?
Not exactly. The external pattern is not the issue but the internal mind that is being expressed externally. Simply put, the rebellion against God and his ways resulting in arrogance, self worship, selfishness and the appeasement of self.
- “ … but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” True and proper worship of God is to embrace him and be like him. Notice that it is passive: your mind is being renewed and your life follows. How do you think this renewing of the mind takes place? Is it something that is instantaneous or beyond our control? What must we be doing for this to take place?
Submission, taking delight in godly matters, immersion in God’s word and challenging the assumptions and accepted notions that exist in said mind. I think it is not instantaneous, within our control yet empowered and influenced by the Holy Spirit. As seen in the advice in Deuteronomy 6, immerse ourselves, taking delight and enjoying learning from his word about God, letting the mind of God challenge the world we live in, and embracing the conclusions we arrive at. I believe regular quiet time is essential to this process.
- “Do not conform” is active, meaning we make it happen, while “be transformed” is passive, meaning we allow it to happen. The difference is that the transformation is not our idea or shaped by us. We accept what is handed to us. Do you think we have to consciously let our lives be transformed or it happens without any conscious decision? How do you think this transformation works?
Consciously, though it will be challenging but as we strive towards being holy and pleasing to God at some point it will unconsciously become the new reality. As the text clearly tells us that the mind is involved it is re-educating it, reshaping the foundations of our thinking and the way we view and interpret the world and respond to it.
SECTION 3
- “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is …” The simple way to understand this is that when we offer our bodies to God, we accept his teaching and values and we let them shape us and in doing so we will experience God’s will and we will know and treasure it. Would this be something you want for yourself?
Yes.
- “ … his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Paul definitely thinks that to live out God’s will is good and pleasing and perfect. What do you think? Is it something you know from experience or are you just taking Paul at his word?
Yes. I think most of us rarely do, merely syncing with his will on occasion. To live his will will take a lot of focus and attention and modern life just does not permit it. Perhaps, as some do, there is a need to escape the life of the world and create a community where this is more possible though that may alienate us from the world further. I have no answer to this. I can’t say I know from experience but this is God’s will we are talking about: it must be amazing—creative, interesting, deeply satisfying, full of love, goodness and kindness with an abundance of joy and peace.
- Paul tells us that this is what worship means: to yield our bodies to God’s will and allow him to shape us. He tells us that it will be a wonderful thing to be transformed in this way and we will know it as an actual fact rather than just theory and concept. What do you think?
This is God we are talking about. He will not force himself on us but surely if we let him have his way he will not fail.