“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2 NASB1995)

In Romans 11 we learned that there were Jews who were once part of biblical Israel who were cut out of Israel because they refused to put their faith and trust in Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah. And all Gentiles who believed in Jesus Christ were grafted into Israel. For in Jesus’ death on that cross he destroyed the barrier between Jew and Gentile and he made them one people, one holy nation of God via faith in Jesus, no longer separate. But by faith in Jesus any Jew could be grafted back into biblical Israel.

But then the Gentile Christians were warned not to be arrogant, for they, as well, could be cut off if they did not continue in genuine faith in obedience to our Lord and to his commands. For in the Scriptures we learn that God considers disobedience to his commands as unbelief, and he regards obedience to God and to his word as belief. For God’s grace is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return (Titus 2:11-14).

[1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Luke 9:23-26]

Therefore, because of what was taught in Romans 11 with regard to the possibility of Gentile believers in Christ being cut out of biblical Israel, i.e. out of the family of God, because they did not continue in the grace of God and in walks of obedience to our Lord, we who believe in Jesus Christ are being urged, by the mercies of God, to present our bodies as living and holy sacrifices, acceptable to God, which is our spiritual service of worship of God. And we are not to be conformed to the ways of this sinful world.

For the Scriptures teach that our biblical salvation is progressive, i.e. it is continuous and ongoing faith and sanctification of the Spirit of God which will not be complete until Jesus returns for his bride and he takes his faithful ones to be with him for eternity. So, we cannot just make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and then live however we want, doing whatever our flesh desires, and then expect that God is going to let us into his heaven. We must deny self, die to sin, and obey our Lord’s commands, in practice.

[Matthew 10:22; Luke 9:23-26; John 8:31-32; John 15:1-12; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-24; Romans 11:17-24; Romans 13:11; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 15:1-2; Galatians 5:16-24; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:21-23; 2 Timothy 1:8-9; 2 Timothy 2:10-13; Hebrews 3:6,14-15; Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 1:5,9; 2 Peter 1:5-11; 1 John 2:24-25]

For the Christian life is not just a free ticket into heaven, and it is not based on lip service only. We who believe in Jesus with God-gifted faith in the Lord are taught that we must put sin to death by the Spirit and that we must no longer make sin and disobedience to God our practice. Our bodies are to be given over to God as living and holy sacrifices, acceptable to God. They are not our own to do with whatever we want. So we cannot live immoral lives in deliberate disobedience to God, and then expect to be let into God’s heaven.

So, this passage of Scripture in Romans 12:1-2 is not a mere suggestion or recommendation which we can choose to receive and put into practice, or ignore and not put into practice. This is how all of us who profess faith in Jesus are to live our lives as those who are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ. And please note that true worship of God is not in the singing of songs and the swaying of human bodies and arms if the life of the one singing is not surrendered to the will of God in death to sin and walks of surrender to God.

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Recording Via Gerry Peters, music producer and arranger

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

Your Spiritual Service of Worship
An Original Work / December 25, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love