“Present your body, a living sacrifice, a holy offering unto our God. Do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind in Jesus, that through His mercy you know what is acceptable and holy, the good and perfect will of God.”
Our choir sings these words (from Romans 12:1-2) with joy and enthusiasm, but this does NOT sound pleasant and easy. In fact, it sounds downright hard. Why would anyone do that? And HOW do you do it?
Living a sinless life isn’t hard – it’s another one of those impossible things we do because we want to please God. Jesus gave his body for us in a horribly agonizing way, and the dedication of ourselves to a life of purity (“sacrifice”) to honor Him seems only fair.
The Holy Spirit prompts us to live a life that is different from our past, resulting in that transformation of the mind we’re singing about. We obey His urgings (call it conscience, if you prefer), and rely on His strength instead of our own. Whew! Now, that I can do.
