Daily Devotional For Sunday, July 21, 2024
Good morning, Southside. Yes, and Doody Diddie. It’s Sunday – the day we go to church and worship and praise our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We get the blessing to learn biblical truth from God’s Word and apply it to our lives. The Apostle Paul writes this in Romans 12:1-2:
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. (2) Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (NLT).
We live in a very precarious and evil country and world. As Christians, we in the church hold and have tremendous influence and authority in the world today. But what appears at times to be our lack of awareness, our disinterest, and our disengagement puts the purposes of God in a deficit position. We have to care. What will Southside be known for in the future? What will the church itself be known for in the future? Great Technology rather than the Truth? The influence of paganism from the world rather than praise for the King of kings and Lord of lords? Hedonism rather than humility? Renewal of our faith or rejection of it? Repentance or renunciation of the truth? Spiritual fervor or spiritual fatality? Sacrifice or self-centeredness? Discipleship or denial?
It is up to us to use our influence in our time and generation for the glory of Jesus Christ. This is our time. This is our age. We will never live another time in any other generation. We must step up and forward. There are many Christians who feel they are powerless to do this, but nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus said this in Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (NLT).
The Greek New Testament word for power here is [δύναμις, dunamis]. This is where we get our English word dynamite. That is the kind of power we have been given. So, why do so many Christians live and feel as if they are powerless, impotent and doomed to failure? This power is only available when we are being transformed into this new person Christ died to make us. But unfortunately, many Christians try and fail repeatedly. Pastor and author John MacArthur tells this story:
“Some years ago, a tearful and obviously distraught young woman approached me at a conference where I was speaking. She told me a story I have heard many times. “I just can’t seem to live the Christian life the way I should,” she said. “I’m frustrated. I don’t have spiritual victory or a sense of accomplishment. I struggle with the simplest forms of obedience, and I’m constantly defeated. Can you help me?”
I said, “What has been your approach to solving the problems yourself?” She replied, “I’ve tried everything. I’ve attended churches where they speak in tongues, have healings, and have all kinds of extraordinary [Romans 9–16, p. 138] spiritual experiences. I’ve spoken in tongues myself, had ecstatic experiences, been prophesied over, and experienced several supposed miracles. I’ve been ‘slain in the spirit.’ But despite all of that, I’m not pleased with my life and I know God isn’t pleased. I’ve tried to get everything from Him that I can, but I’m not satisfied. I’m still miserable and want more.”
“I think you have just put your finger on the problem,” I said. “The key to spiritual victory and true happiness is not in trying to get all we can from God but in giving all that we are and have to Him” (Source: John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, “Romans,” p. 138).
We are commanded to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. The Greek New Testament word for “present” is [παρίστημι, paristemi] and it has the idea of “surrendering or yielding up.” It is the word used for a priest placing an offering or sacrifice on the altar. When the priest did this, he had slain the animal as the sacrifice. In our case, we are living sacrifices.
The problem with being a living sacrifice is we can crawl off the altar, which so many do. This is why it is not about what we can get from God, but what we can give Him. The Apostle Paul starts Romans 12:1 this way, “I urge you . . . .” or “I appeal to you . . .” The Greek New Testament word for “urge, appeal” is [παρακαλέω, parakaleo]. This is where we get our English word for the Holy Spirit – Paraclete. Pastor and author Chuck Swindoll writes this:
It carries the idea of standing alongside someone in order to provide counsel, courage, comfort, hope, and positive perspective. A good encourager challenges without condemning, instructs without lecturing, inspires without condescending, and helps another toward excellence. Like a coach encouraging and challenging an athlete to reach a particular goal, Paul urged believers to consecrate themselves.
Consecration in this particular context is a radical separation from a secular worldview to adopt instead a Christlike purpose and way of life. This doesn’t automatically happen when someone becomes a believer in Christ. This is what I would call a “cooperative command.” God gives a command, which we are then to obey with full cooperation. However, even in this, He has not left us alone. Note the phrase “by the mercies of God . . . It carries with it the idea to give over the use of something for specific purposes” (Source: Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary, “Romans,” p. 273).
To differentiate, God gives us two different systems to choose from in this life.
- Conformity to this world. Conformity is the Greek New Testament word [συσχηματίζω, suschematizo]. It is where we get our English word “scheme.” This word literally means “to be molded into a pattern or a scheme.” We can allow ourselves to let the world squeeze us into its own mold for us and therefore we are no different from the world. We talk the same, act the same and think the same. OR . . .
- Transform by the renewing of our mind. Transform is the Greek New Testament word [μεταμορφόω, metamorphoo]. This is where we get our English word metamorphosis. This word literally means “to be changed from one thing into another.” To be changed from one species into a totally different species just like a caterpillar changes into a butterfly. Meaning we genuinely go from being lost to save; from dead to alive; from bearing the character of the world to now bearing the character of Christ.
This being an influence for Christ in our world is not going to happen apart from us being in Christ, but not of this world. We have to decide if Jesus Christ and His mission and purpose for the world are worth giving ourselves to it.
Questions To Consider
- What are we (you) giving ourselves (yourself) to for Christ?
- What is the effort of our (your) life for discipleship?
- What are we (you) dreaming about for the glory of God?
- What are we (you) longing for in the mission of the church?
- What are we (you) sacrificing as people who have gone through a metamorphosis for Christ? The answer to these questions determines what the outcomes will be.
Scripture To Meditate On: Colossians 3:10, “Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, I ask that You help me through the power of the Holy Spirit, Who dwells in me, not to be molded to the patterns of this world. Instead, continue to turn me into that new species for You – a disciple who reflects and mirrors more and more each day the character of Christ in me. Give me the will to sacrifice for You. Give me the determination to be disciples. Give me dreams to pursue for Your glory. Give me a deep longing for Your mission for this world. I ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside!—Pastor Kelly