Rom. 12:1, 21I 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. (Romans 12:1‑2)
THE believer is justified by God, he has peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God is shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost, who is given him. It is by these and such mercies of God that he is enjoined to the devotion of his whole person to God, to absolute self-surrender, to consecration and holiness Until God’s gospel mercies are our possession we are not called upon to give the smallest thing to God, and it is only as in the realization of Hi gifts to us, that we are capable of rendering aught to Him.
And being the recipients of God’s mercies we are besought to present―not a trifling gift to om God, not merely our time, or our money, but everything— “our bodies, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” And this presentation of the whole person to God is not to be rendered by us in an unintelligent spirit, such as that which drives men into monasteries, there to blindfold their minds and to sell or to surrender their will: to a superior, but it is an intelligent, a reasonable service, one in which the mind is perfectly alive to the thoughts of God.
Upon dedication comes the exhortation not to be conformed, but transformed. When converted the believer occupies a special platform―he is separated by God from the world. And being God’s, the anxious question arises, Will he live for God? Will he be entirely and only for God or will he go down to the level of this world, leave his privileged place of separation, and once more become like his old companions, and sink back into his former habits and thoughts?
It is impossible to be like the world, to do as it does, and to be practically holy. And though peculiarity is not holiness, yet there is peculiarity in holiness. We do not say that to wear a gray suit or a Sister of Mercy’s ghastly attire has any holiness in it, but if the heart be separate from thy world, even in outward things, the state of till heart will be expressed.
We must not mistake peace with God for inward holiness: the possession of peace is a mercy which should lead to holiness; neither is joy in God holiness, but a gospel mercy which should stir up our affections to surrender all to God. Too many, having heard and believed the gospel of peace, and being assured of salvation, are content with the assurance, and basely, selfishly, return to their former worldly associations. There was a measure of separation to God with many when first converted―for upon conversion such is invariably the case―for a short time the new convert to God was content to be peculiar, but the world bid for his company, and he left the platform of separation to God, and descended to the world’s level. Mark him now! He dresses as the world, does as the world, talks as the world, and the world to which he is conformed exclaims, “Surely he is no Christian!” Let us, dear reader, in the presence and possession of the mercies of God, heed the exhortation, “Be ye not conformed to this world.” Let the peace God has given us, the freedom from doubts and fears, yes, all His gospel mercies, lend their force to the exhortation not to become like the world out of which the blood of Christ has redeemed us.
“But be ye transformed.” Conformity is going down to the old state of things, but to be transformed is to rise up into that which is outside and beyond us. God would have the caterpillar become the butterfly; the groveling soul, the elevated Christ-like spirit; the dull, stupid child, the bright intelligent son the being, once living for self and life-time, taken up with Christ and glory.
And how is this transforming effected? It is not an instantaneous work. We obtained life in Christ immediately upon faith in Christ, but this transforming goes on daily. It is wrought by the Spirit of God, by the renewing of the mind, by continually being in God’s presence, and being occupied with His thoughts. Do we not need daily, hourly renewing of the mind? Do we not feel how deeply we require His gracious work within us? We must yield ourselves to God, and by degrees we shall become practically and positively holy. Holiness is not merely the absence of bad thoughts or non-conformity to this world, it is positive good, and it finds its force in proving God’s will. Once we liked to let our wills have their full fling, but by the grace of God’s Spirit within, we prove that God’s will is good, and then we find that it is acceptable―our hearts really rejoice in His will; and so we come to bow with reverence and joy before His will, for it is perfect.
The motive for this devotion to God is surely seeing His wondrous mercies―which are ours in Christ-saved by His grace, washed in the blood of Jesus, justified from all things, possessors of peace, filled with His love, indwelt by His Spirit no condemnation, no separation! Oh! the depth of His riches! Therefore, “by the mercies of God... be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”