PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS
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Romans 12:1-2 is a powerful and important passage that marks a major shift in the message given by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul to the wider collection of believers in Jesus Christ. In today’s devotional, we are going to quickly look at as many of the key elements of this passage as possible.
Before we begin, consider praying this prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, I come to your message of truth today in search of your gift of wisdom. Help me to learn more about what you value most as I turn my attention to your word.
If possible, read the following passage out loud to yourself:
1 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. 2 Do not conform 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 NIV11)
Urge you…
The force of this teaching comes to us in English as “I urge you,” which carries a kind of forceful desire. The Greek term used here is worth noting (Παρακαλῶ – Para-kalō).
This is the same root word used to describe the person of the Holy Spirit back in Jesus’ teaching found in John 14:16-17, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.”
The teaching found in Romans 12:1-2 comes to us in the same power and force as the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. We are being called and encouraged to take the following on board as a word of God.
Brothers and Sisters
This message is being given to the people of faith. Those who have called on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and who believe in his name for salvation are the audience for this teaching. Those who desire to grow in spiritual maturity will take this message on board.
In view of God’s mercy…
All that follows in our study of Romans 12 and beyond comes to us under the umbrella of God’s gift of mercy and grace. We cannot seek to obey the commands of Christ or understand the message of the Bible if it were not for the gift of God’s Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth.
All that we do in our journey of spiritual maturity comes to us through the gift of grace. We must not lose sight of this truth, or else we might fall into the trap of the arrogant and prideful doer of good deeds rather than live as grateful sinners who have been redeemed by Christ.
Offer your bodies…
What does it mean to you to know that we must choose to submit our physical flesh into the service of the Lord?
By starting with the submission of our flesh under the authority and dominion of the Lord, we seek to take on the desires and lusts of our old natures that tempt us and bring us into the time of trial.
As a living sacrifice…
A living sacrifice is one that is offered to the Lord day after day. It is not a one-time offering, but a constant commitment to Christ. We clothe ourselves with our calling to seek out God’s wisdom and truth daily and to allow the Holy Spirit to help us live in truth with each breath.
Holy and pleasing to God…
- Imagine knowing that what you do with your body brings God pleasure and is seen as a holy gift of worship unto the Lord.
- How might such a clear understanding of the importance of our physical nature change what you consume or what you do with your body?
True and proper worship….
Do you want to worship God in Spirit and in truth as Jesus Christ declared that all true children of God would do? If you desire to bring to the Lord that which is holy and acceptable in worship, then accept the call of God to offer your physical nature to the Lord in worship.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world…
The believer in Jesus Christ is always under pressure. There are always people surrounding us in this world that want to pull us off of the narrow way that leads to eternal life.
They do not like that you are living by a different set of values and seeking a different treasure than they are, so they seek to pressure you into joining them on the wide way that leads to destruction.
See the pressure of the world around you and seek the help of the Lord today. Where you have sin in your heart, confess it to the Lord and turn to his truth, resting in his power, as you learn to say no to sin and yes to obedience in Christ.
The renewing of your mind…
As we seek spiritual wisdom, we seek to allow the message of God’s word to teach us the very heart of God. We learn about his values and seek to become aligned with his mission and purpose. This is what it looks like to turn away from the mind of the world and to turn toward the shared mind and values of Christ.
Test and approve…
This is not a negative form of testing. This is a trying out of God’s will. This idea can be expressed differently in this way:
As you get into God’s word, and you allow the Holy Spirit to help his word get into you, you will discover the values and principles that makeup God’s will for you. As we seek to live as mature followers of Christ, following the values of the Lord, we are able to see and understand the nature of God’s will.
We do not study God’s will as much as we live it out.
God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will.
The Lord does not hide his will from us. It has been given to us over and over within the Bible’s message. As we work through the rest of Romans 12 this week, we will see more and more examples of what God’s will for his people looks and feels like in very real and practical ways.
In Christ,
Ryan Laden
PASTOR RYAN LADEN
Works at MTN. CHURCH
Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church
Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
Studied at Baylor University
Studied at Texas Tech University
Went to Castle Hills First Baptist
Copyright © 2024 Ryan Laden – All Rights Reserved.
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