February 24 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Romans 12:

¹I 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

In this text we must not overlook the word therefore. It connects that which precedes with what follows. Paul has shown that all are sinners, that Christ is the propitiation for our sins! through faith in his blood; that there is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. That these are in God's eternal council of salvation not only justified, but also glorified; that nothing shall separate them from God's love, that this salvation is for Jew and Gentile; that honor belongs not to man but to God, "for of him, and through him, and unto him are all things."

"Therefore (and what a big therefore it is!), present your bodies a living sacrifice." Not: Therefore do this or that good work; place your gifts upon the altar of God, or fast and offer long prayers, but, "Present your bodies a living sacrifice."

Why bodies? Our minds, our wills, have nothing to say. Every thought must be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Not our mind must rule, but the mind of Christ. We are, as it were, just bodies, as soldiers in an army. They cannot exercise their own wills. They must be obedient to the General. So we must be wholly surrendered to Christ. And this because of the mercies of God. Such a whole-hearted sacrifice of self is acceptable and well-pleasing to God. The sacrifices of God are not a strong mind, but a broken spirit.

Prayer

Our Father, Thou hast loved us with an everlasting love. Thou hast saved us by Thy grace. Thou dost bestow Thy mercy upon us from day to day. Help us to be truly thankful. May we be wholly surrendered unto Thy will. May we realize that our bodies are the members of Christ; that the Holy Spirit dwells in us, and we are not our own. And since we are bought with a price, namely with the precious blood of Christ, help us to glorify Thee, our God, in our body and in our spirit, which are Thine. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Rom. 3:25; Rom. 8:1; Rom. 8:30, 35ff.; Rom. 11:36; 12:1; 2 Cor. 10:5; Ps. 51:17.

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