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Romans 12:1 present your bodies a living sacrifice

Romans 12:1: I 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.
Romans 12:2: And 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.

All fellow members in Christ, first and foremost, must recognize that believers are joined by the strength of sinews, as it were, not literal sinews, but in the full strength of a strong fibrous ligament (sinews in the body), which join all believers together IN Christ. This is a spiritual sinew in the Body of Christ. However, what many people forget is that this 'sinew joining' also includes what is described as the “mind of Christ” [1 Corinthians 2:16].

We may ask ourselves, what then has been the described as the mind of Christ from the Old Testament? Although the Old Testament (Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim) does not have the words “mind of Christ” as a succinct description, that precept was evident when God taught His children – Israel – to be holy and separate (sanctified). This precept was Israel's sanctification.

So likewise this is that same precept, the “mind of Christ”, that was literally spoken to the saints today in 1 Corinthians 2:16; and in likeness recorded in Philippians 4:7, 1 Corinthians 1:10, and Romans 15:5,6. Today this “mind of Christ” is put into action, put into practice, carry out through our own will to continually present our bodies as a living sacrifice – this realization is our sanctification walk. Therefore, our sanctification walk is of supreme importance within Christ's attitude, or frame of mind. “For we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men” (1 Corinthians 4:9).

Hence, we must take sanctification very seriously, for the Lord is minding our thoughts and intents and actions on how we handle Bible reading, exhortation, and doctrine. Wherefore, sanctification is the primary significance and purpose for why Romans 12:1 was written to us for our effectual edification. This verse is the beginning of our instructions in wisdom and knowledge.

Therefore, we should listen all the more carefully to the message from God via Paul concerning this framework of sanctification. Inside of Romans 12:1, the words given are exact words to describe a reasonable service, not an automatic conforming. Each believer has a part to play, so to speak, in his/her sanctification. The words that God utilizes are there to communicate that this sanctification service is a life long transformation which operates inside our inner man, which has its materialization appear in bodily form as a living sacrifice. This protocol or rule of conduct as a living sacrifice sanctification walk is only fully understood by a careful attendance to Bible reading, Bible exhortation, and Bible doctrine (1 Timothy 4:13). It does not describe some sort of an automatic conforming to Christ's wisdom and knowledge. Nor does this describe someone who through acquiescence accepts sanctification service reluctantly but without protest. Sanctification service requires a conscience a careful attendance to Bible reading, Bible exhortation, and Bible doctrine, in order to learn the way in which God wishes us to practice or walk in sanctification and to materialize our bodily living sacrifice.

To see the contrary form of this sanctification walk and sound doctrine, we can simply look into the world of Christian-dom as an example, for there is ample evident observations that many christians are being led by the flesh and not the Spirit, living like Corinthians, living like Galatians, and not living like the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, which we have as ensamples.

God is concerned about the evidence of our living manifestation of our sacrifice, our sanctification walk, our reasonable service by the measures and standards which He prescribes, and not by the measures of men's standards or ways. For God's way are higher than man's ways (Isaiah 55:9). His Word is the instruction manual. His Word is the curriculum. His Word is the Way.
 
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