April 27 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Romans 12:1-15:

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.

Devotional

We are not our own, "but belong to our faithful Saviour Jesus Christ." And, "He makes us heartily willing and ready to live unto him." (Heidelberg Catechism, 1) Paul beseeches the Romans, that they may present their bodies "a living sacrifice holy, acceptable unto God." That means wholehearted devotion and loyal service. Believers must not go along with the world and live as the world lives. They must not, like the Gentiles or worldlings, walk in the vanity of their minds. They have been renewed in the spirit of their minds. They are new creatures (a new creation) in Christ Jesus. There­fore their manner of life is altogether different from the manner of life which they lived before this transformation had taken place. They now live to the glory of God. Now they are also in a position to prove what is the will of God, that will which is always good and acceptable. As children of light, they prove what is acceptable to the Lord. But knowing what is acceptable to the Lord, it behooves them to do it, and do it gladly, even if what is required is not to their natural liking. They must learn to pray to their Lord, "Not as I will, but as Thou wilt."

Prayer

Our Father, Thy will alone is good. Help us to do Thy will. Help us to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto Thee. May we not be conformed to the world, but work Thou in us that transformation and renewing of our minds, that we may prove what is that good, and accept­able, and perfect will of God. May we be obedient children of Thine, and as Thou art holy, may we also be holy in all our manner of life. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

---

Scripture in Devotional: Rom. 12:1; Eph. 4:17, 25; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 5:8, 10; Matt. 26:39.

Click here for background on Light and Comfort and the author.