Verse 1: Paul is painting a picture for us about what being a Christian looks like. He appeals to us, his audience, begging us to listen to the truth that he is trying to convey. Because of the infinite mercies of God, we can present ourselves as living sacrifices to Him. He has shown us mercy...forgiven us...taken our shame, humiliation, punishment - out of love...and that loving mercy should transform our lives. Now we are able to live as sacrifices that are acceptable to God...Jesus has sanctified us so that we can boldly say, "God, here is my life...it is yours...I sacrifice my will for yours." That is faithful, bold Christian living right there! So many of us think Christianity is about going to church on Sunday, occasionally reading our bibles, doing the odd service project...but those things in themselves do not constitute an authentic Christian life. Do you understand that? Paul tells us exactly what is acceptable in the eyes of God...everything. He wants it all...everyday...every moment...every word....every action...every interaction with others...God wants our lives to be lived in a state of worship. From the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep (Heck, even in our dreams), Christianity is about sacrificing the self for the sacred...it is about crucifying the sinful death within us and living our the resurrection of Christ...it is about refusing to bring more hell to this already twisted world and instead working with God to bring redemption. I believe that is what Paul is talking about in this passage and I absolutely believe that is what you and I should be working towards. Does that sound crazy to you? Some people would look at what I write and think it sounds unfair...how can God expect everything? All the time? Why is He so selfish? Well, first off, He created everything...He holds everything together on a moment to moment basis - so He is entitled to have some pretty stinkin' high expectation wouldn't you agree? But the standards of God are not about selfishness - they are not about ego...God is perfection personified...He is the Word...He is the source of all knowledge...He knows that He is awesome, and he doesn't NEED you to tell Him that by offering your life as a living sacrifice. What He also knows is that you were created for community with Him...He knows that you were created to operate at your highest and best when you are living in worship...God calls you to this living sacrifice standard because He knows it is what you were made for. It is better for you! You are a living sacrifice, but you aren't really sacrificing anything that was good for you anyway. You are cutting the destructive, compulsive, toxic, selfish garbage out of your life and choosing to live the life that you were created to live. That is the beauty of the call of a living death...it is the only way to experience life!
Verse 2: I know so many people - adults and students alike - who are in an utter state of confusion about what they are supposed to be doing with their lives. There are so many people in this culture...in this world...who want to know who they are...who want to know what they are supposed to be doing...who want to know what God's will for their life is. Paul gives us a clear pathway to finding the answers that our souls are craving. It starts out with an in your face command that usually ends most peoples' attempts to seek out the will of God...Paul says, "Do not be conformed to this world!" There it is...step one in determining who you are and what you are supposed to be doing. Don't be conformed to this world! It is that simple, though unfortunately we all know that it isn't that simple. We have been shaped and twisted by the lies of this world. We have bought in - hook, line and sinker - to the ways of the world. We are addicted to them...we are consumed with them...we cannot break away from them. We endlessly chase after the things that this world tells us are important: beauty, wealth, achievement, sex, pleasure, drunkenness, material goods, success, intelligence, accolades, puppy love, security...and yet in the end, when we get these things...they are never enough. They do not satisfy. They leave us with an emptiness inside that is longing for more...but all we do is continuing the never ending chase for fulfillment from the things of this world because that is all we know. Because we have been conformed to the pattern of this world, and we wonder why we are so lost and confused. We wonder why it is so hard for us to hear God's voice and understand what He wants for our lives. Paul promises us that if you have the audacity to refuse to buy in to the lies of this world...if you refuse to become another brainwashed zombie shambling from one worldly fix to the next...if you refuse to conform to the world...you will know what the will of God is. You will know what is good and acceptable and perfect. Isn't that what you want? So start to transform your mind through the Word of God. Replace the destructive voices of this world with the world-shatteringly powerful truth of God. You will find what you are looking for.
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