More Than Meets the Eye?
Romans 12:1-3
This passage is the climax of the book of Romans. It is probably the most preach portion of Romans and the most memorized. Paul again sets up this passage with the previous 11 chapters and we need to remember the context to correctly divide the Word of God. Paul tells the Jews to stop thinking like the world. The world wants nothing to do with God and the Jews were infected with the same philosophy wanting to be a people apart from God on their own power. Paul tries to get them to remember their standing in God and in Him alone.
He then tells them, vs. 1 that they are to present them selves a living sacrifice. Now he tells them how to accomplish in not being conformed to this world, vs. 2. If we are not to be conformed to this world, what are we to conform too? How are we to be conformed?
First, we are to be conformed lets look at Dan. 1. We find the key to Daniel’s standing in the first chapter. We are told that Daniel purposed in his heart. He made the conscience decision to be godly and to be conformed to His will. The same thing happened to the Shad., Mesh., & Abed. in chapter 3. They took a stand, literally, to be not conformed to this world and they did not bow. So, we are to be conformed to the mind and will of God.
Secondly, the battlefield is the mind. This is the ground on which Satan chooses to attack and the ground on which we must fight with all we have to the end. Philippians 2:5 tells us that we are to have the mind of Christ. We must read His Word to have His mind for it is knowable, I Cor. 2:16, Eph. 4:23. Then we must enact the mind of Christ, Phil. 2:7, 8. The mind of Christ is servitude and He followed through all the way to the cross. Where will it take you?