January 10 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Romans 12:

¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
²And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
³For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
⁴For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
⁵So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
⁶Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
⁷Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
⁸Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
⁹Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
¹⁰Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
¹¹Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
¹²Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
¹³Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
¹⁴Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
¹⁵Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
¹⁶Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
¹⁷Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
¹⁸If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
¹⁹Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
²⁰Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
²¹Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Devotional

Paul has shown in his letter that there is no difference between Jew and Gentile: "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." But God has manifested his mercies to Jews and Gentiles in revealing to them that there is forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus Christ. "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered." And by these mercies he beseeches them to present their bodies in a living sacrifice unto God. There is only one that has done this perfectly, namely, Jesus. "Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me . . . Then said I, Lo, I come ... to do thy will." A slave cannot do his own will; he must do the will of his master. A soldier cannot follow out his own ideas; he must be obedient to his superior officer. So we must serve Christ, intent on doing his will, and not our own. Paul calls himself a bondservant (a slave) of Jesus Christ. "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." "Be not conformed to the world." Do not act on the principle: Everybody is doing it. "But be ye transformed (changed) by the renewing of your mind." Surrender yourselves wholly unto God. Render willing, humble, cheerful service unto him, whose we are and whom we serve.

Prayer

O God, help us to remember that we are not redeemed with gold or silver, but with the precious blood of Christ. And being redeemed with such a price, help us to glorify Thee in our body and in our spirit, which are God's. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Rom. 3:20; 4:7; Heb. 10:5,7; 1 Cor. 6:20; Rom. 12:2; Acts 27:23.

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