Romans 12:1
(The Passion Translation)
The Transforming Power of the Gospel
12 “Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvellous mercies? I encourage you to surrender yourselves to God to be his sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights his heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship.”
The Apostle Paul, in his Letter to the Romans, was attempting to explain that Salvation was offered through The Gospels of Yeshua Hamashiach. Christianity was a growing Faith in a place that was “infested” with many pagan gods and religions. The temptation to intertwine Christianity with pagan religions was certainly plausible in the minds of new Believers. Paul was cementing the fact that they were recipients of GOD’s Mercies and they should in turn worship Him in the way they lived their lives.
In your world today, do you recognise GOD’S Marvellous Mercies upon your life?
The definition of Mercy is: –
- compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.
Living in a world that does not promise us anything, a world that changes from day to day, a world in moral decay, a world where the true value of life is disregarded and replaced with the needs of others, material needs, being able to wake up in the morning and inhale the fresh fragrance of GOD’S Creation is only one of the Marvellous Mercies. There are many and they occur every second. Yet, this is still The Most Marvellous Mercy Afforded to us by our Father GOD.
1 Peter 1:3
(The Passion Translation)
“3 Celebrate with praises the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has shown us his extravagant mercy. For his fountain of mercy has given us a new life—we are reborn to experience a living, energetic hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
Yeshua Hamashiach is The Most Marvellous Mercy given to us. The Promise of Eternal Life was gifted to us through Him.
Paul asks the Believers in Rome, what should their proper response be after receiving this Marvellous Mercy. He immediately gives them the answer by encouraging them “to surrender yourselves to God to be his sacred, living sacrifices”.
After receiving Yeshua in your lives, I too wish to encourage you to offer yourselves as living sacrifices. “To die to yourself every day”. By laying aside your own carnal desires. To live lives that would honour The Almighty GOD. By obeying His Word. By trusting in Him. Where there is a sacrifice, there is death. If you are to be a “living sacrifice”, something within you has to die so that you can live, live in Holiness. Sin must not reign over you and do not love the things of the world.
Romans 6:12-13
(The Passion Translation)
Sin’s Reign Is Over
“12 Sin is a dethroned monarch; so you must no longer give it an opportunity to rule over your life, controlling how you live and compelling you to obey its desires and cravings. 13 So then, refuse to answer its call to surrender your body as a tool for wickedness. Instead, passionately answer God’s call to keep yielding your body to him as one who has now experienced resurrection life! You live now for his pleasure, ready to be used for his noble purpose.”
1 John 2:15-16
(The Passion Translation)
A Warning Not to Love the World
“15 Don’t set the affections of your heart on this world or in loving the things of the world. The love of the Father and the love of the world are incompatible. 16 For all that the world can offer us—the gratification of our flesh, the allurement of the things of the world, and the obsession with status and importance—none of these things come from the Father but from the world.”
Paul continues, “. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights his heart.” What delights our Heavenly Father’s Heart???
The Word of GOD is filled with Scripture that tells us what our Father Delights in. Here are just a few: –
Romans 12:2
(The Passion Translation)
“2 Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.”
Psalm 147:11-(KJV)-“11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.”
Psalm 149:4-(KJV)–“4 For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.”
Proverbs 11:1
(The Passion Translation)
“11 To set high standards for someone else,
and then not live up to them yourself,
is something that God truly hates.
But it pleases him when we apply the right standards
of measurement.”
Proverbs 11:20
(The Passion Translation)
“20 The Lord can’t stand the stubborn heart bent toward evil,
but he treasures those whose ways are pure.”
Proverbs 12:22
(The Passion Translation)
“22 Live in the truth and keep your promises,
and the Lord will keep delighting in you,
but he detests a liar.”
Jeremiah 9:24
(New King James Version)
“24 But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight,” says the Lord.”
Matthew 17:5
(The Passion Translation)
“5 But while Peter was still speaking, a radiant cloud composed of light spread over them, enveloping them all. And God’s voice suddenly spoke from the cloud, saying, “This is my dearly loved Son, the constant focus of my delight. Listen to him!”
Matthew 3:17
(The Passion Translation)
17 Then suddenly the voice of the Father shouted from the sky, saying, “This is the Son I love, and my greatest delight is in him.”
Yeshua Hamashiach, GOD The Father’s Greatest Delight. Yet He was sent to us to be The Final Sacrifice for us. Think about this for a second. GOD The Father’s Greatest Delight was Sacrificed for you, and me. What does that make us? How great a delight are we to Him?
Almighty GOD’s Greatest Act of Mercy was becoming man through Yeshua Hamashiach. Stepping down from Heaven, into a sinful world. To be an example that we should follow. He took all of our transgressions, sins, imperfections, sicknesses and diseases upon Himself. He took the torture, the humiliation, the hatred, all for us. A sacrifice that was more than what we could ever imagine, something that we did not or could not earn because of our sinful nature…He did it for us.
Why???
Because He Loves us Unconditionally. He Cherishes us..
His Magnificent Crown of Glory was traded for a crown of thorns. (Thorns represent sins)
He offered up His Holy and Sanctified Body to be ripped apart by the lashes so that we are Healed.
His Arms were stretched apart on the cross to welcome us to Him.
His Feet were nailed together so we could be Free to follow Him.
Why did He do all of this for you and me?
Sins will enter our minds. Stop it right there. It is merely a deception.
Sickness and disease will riddle our bodies. Stop it right there. It is only a deception.
Run into The Open Arms of Yeshua.
Follow Him with ordered footsteps.
Mercy, mercy, mercy has been afforded unto us. Receive it in The Heavenly Courts. Appear before Him, The Just Judge, filled with repentance for not having sufficient Faith to believe that all what we perceive to be as imperfections, have already been made Perfect by Him Who is The Perfect Perfection. All else is merely a deception.
Live your life in Him, through Him and with Him, “For this becomes your genuine expression of worship.”
GOD Bless.
HIS Greatness is within you.
Ps S.M Clayton
