Gladiators Inc is coming soon, if you haven’t noticed yet, it’s the 3rd Saturday of every month. So next week, the 16th we will be meeting @ 9am to continue our quest for Christ-likeness (being more like Jesus Christ) as we bathe ourselves in the Bible, the Word of God.
As we memorize our verses of this month, Romans 12:1,2 I urge you to meditate on what Paul (the author of the book of Romans) is saying:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of 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.
Whenever you see a “therefore” written in the Bible, its good practice to go back and look in the passages (Bible sections) above it and see what’s it “there, for” (smile)! Paul, from the beginning of the book of Romans, talks about how we are disgusting, vile wickedly, sordidly filthy individuals. We all had a one-way ticket to burn in hell for ever and ever. “But God”, in His incredible mercy, made a way for us to be as holy, clean, and perfect as Jesus Christ Himself. Because of His mercy we now are:
Redeemed – we have been “bought” out of slavery to sin, I’m free!
Justified – “Just-as-if-I’d” never sinned. Not only am I free from the slavery of sin, now Christ has cleansed me of “all my unrighteousness”.
Sanctified – Not only am I cleansed from my sins, God has begun a process in me to keep me pure and holy
Glorified – And one day I will stand in His presence PERFECT
The verses right before Romans 12:1,2 reads as follows:
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Based on ALL this, and in view of ALL God’s mercies toward us, Paul says the least we can do is “offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God.”
More to come…
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