It’s Decision Time

It’s Decision Time –

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Paul’s Appeal –

Paul’s appeal is a direct response to the mercies God bestows on us. Paul does not say mercy (singular), but rather mercies (plural). Mercies (plural) suggest that God had to extend pardon and or generosity more than once. Mercies (plural) suggest that God forgave us again even after we promised God that we were not going to do what we did again. Mercies (plural) suggest that God kept His word to us even when we did not keep our word to him. It is with this understanding in mind, that Paul appeals to the believer.

The term brothers suggest that he (Paul) is talking to believers. If he is talking to believers, then this appeal is not inclusive but rather exclusive. That let’s me know that everything is not for everybody. (Flow In the Spirit)

Present you bodies as a living sacrifice –

First-century people were familiar with the offering of sacrifices. An animal without spot or blemish was selected and offered up. This ritual act of offering was done by slaying the animal, sprinkling its blood on the altar and burning the whole or part of its remains until its flames and ashes ascended to the deity that they worshipped. The implications of ritual sacrificial offers suggested that something had to atone for sins committed. Sacrificial offerings were a normal practice in Jewish history until Jesus. Now Paul appeals to us that we no longer allow something or someone else to serve as a substitutionary sacrifice. Paul appeals to the believer to become the sacrifice themselves.

I have discovered that it is easy to keep doing what you have been doing when the cost is paid by someone else. But, when the bill has to be paid by yourself, you function and operate differently. Paul appeals to us and let’s us know that we should consider, based on the mercies that God has already extended to us, becoming a living sacrifice. It’s going to hurt for some, and be uncomfortable for others, but God wants us holy. It’s going to be different for some and stressful for others, but God wants us to be acceptable to Him. The blessing of becoming a sacrificial offering, is that it will only kill off what God does not want in your life. In other words, it will kill it and not kill you. There are some things that we have been praying to God about. God said if you become the sacrifice, I will burn it off of you and burn it out of you. God said before this year ends, I am giving you an opportunity to put yourself on the altar. Church, God wants us holy. The Bible declares, “holiness without which no man shall see the Lord”. That means your giving is not enough. Your attendance is not enough. Your programs are not enough. You have to be holy. You cannot not be holy because someone else is not holy. You have to be holy for yourself. God does not give you a pass because of someone else’s shortcomings. You still have to do what is right if you want to see Jesus.

This level of sacrifice according to Paul is our spiritual act of worship. This is not a carnal thing. This is not an emotional thing. This is spiritual thing. If we are spiritual, another translation says, “this is our reasonable service”. In other words, with everything that God has done for us, this is the least that we can do. When we look back on all of the things we put our own selves in, when we see that tricks and traps we laid for ourselves, and compare it to the ways that God stepped in and rescued us, this is the least that we can do. When we look back on the ways that we have contributed to somebody’s hurt, pain, an embarrassment, and compare it to the ways that God kept us instead of exposing us, this is the least that we can do.

Paul then shifts from the sacrifice of our bodies to the transformation of our minds. He suggests to us that one of two things are happening –

Either we are conforming or transforming. If we are conforming to the world that then we are becoming similar to the world. That means that the church and the world start to look the same. That’s not a good thing. People in the world do not come to church because the church looks like the very space that they are trying to get away from. People in the world come to church because they are looking for something different from their norm. If we are going to make an impact, we don’t need to conform, we need to transform.

Paul suggests that transformation must begin in our minds. This is a crucial step that we overlook often. One of the main causes which moves someone to become a repeat offender rest on the fact that their mind has not changed. Time may have passed. Years may have accumulated. But, if they ways in which they think, process information, and comprehend have not altered in any way, there is a good chance that they we repeat actions and behaviors that promote an unchanged life. It is impossible to think the same way you have always thought and believe that you have the capacity to do something different. If my mind and my ways are the same Monday through Friday and if I have not done anything to change the ways that I think, then nothing in my life is going to change. The mind is such a crucial entity because our behavior is a byproduct of how I think. The Bible says it like this, “whatsoever a man thinketh in his heart, so is he”. Cogito, ergo sum is a Latin philosophical proposition by René Descartes translated into English as "I think, therefore I am".

A transformed mind is essential to our ability to discern the will of God. If our minds are not transformed, we are unable to distinguish the difference between what God is saying and what we tell ourselves God is saying. You cannot decipher what God is trying to do in you, for you, and through you, if your mind and mindset has not changed. It does not matter how long you have been coming to church. If your mind and your mindset has not changed, you cannot distinguish your voice from his. You will run the risk of telling yourself that God told you ABC and XYZ when God has not told you anything at all. The most dangerous space to be in, is a space where you are surrounded by people who are churchy but my transformed. They will mess around and cosign your ignorance and make you believe that you can remain exactly as you are and hear God clearly.

A transformed mind also allows us to discern what is good and acceptable. It removes the free for all syndrome that fosters congregational anarchy and puts us in a posture that God can work in. It removes the excuses that we use to prolong unhealthy relationships and associations and reminds of us our worth in Him. We don’t just think good we become good. We don’t just hope for acceptable, we become it. Look at this – A transformed mind produces proper discernment. Proper discernment allows us to know God’s will, know what’s good and acceptable, and lastly it allows us to be whole.

The term perfect in this context, refers to wholeness and completeness. When our mind is transformed God establishes wholeness in our lives. We no longer have to feel incomplete. we no longer have to feel like we are partial. Transformation makes us whole. Transformation suggests that we are whole alone. We don’t need to be manipulated into feeling that someone or something else is necessary for us to be complete. We are whole all by ourselves.

As I hasten to my close, we understand the power of becoming a sacrifice and we understand the power of being transformed. But there is a subtly truth that we must accept if we are going to see change in 2020. is an appeal that we must have to accept to live out. This is not an act of God moving on or in our lives. This is information is presented and a choice made is we opt to do so.

Look at your neighbor and tell them, “neighbor, it’s decision time”. Now is the time, for you to decide what your year is going to look like. Now is the time for you to decide whether you are going to become a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God. Now is the time for you to decide what’s better for your life, conformity or transformation? Now is the time for you to decide are you going to truly live for God or live for yourself? Now is the time for you to decide if you are tired of the life you have or are you comfortable with going around in the same circles? Tell your neighbor, “it’s decision time”.

Now is the time when you decide if you want the same thing you have always had or if you want something new. Let me testify. I have been a creative writer for a very long time. Seeing that I have a desire to pursue academic studies beyond the master level, my advisor and professor, had me write my final paper in academic style. This meant that I had to write the body and the conclusion first, and then write my introduction. For days, I either sat in the library at school or at the dinner table with about 15 to 20 books on the table reading and researching. This new format of writing was different from what I was used to. But, sense I want to pursue a PhD, this is the style of writing that is common for that space. So, I had to do something out of my norm. It was frustrating and extremely exhausting. But, in the end, my sacrifice paid off. I share this with you because I know the struggles and challenges that come with wanting something different and doing something different to get it. It’s nerve racking. It’s aggravating. But it has to be done if you want something different. Tonight, an appeal has gone forth. Everyone is not going to accept or embrace the challenge. This appeal is only for the ones who want something different. I have made peace with the fact that better is not for everyone. I am not suggesting that better cannot happen for everyone. I am suggesting that everyone is not willing to do what is necessary and needed in order for better to happen.

Tonight, I make an appeal to those who are tired. Tonight, I make an appeal to those who want something different and are actually ready to do what’s needed to get something different. If you want transformation in your lives, meet me at the altar. Tonight, you will become the sacrifice. Tonight, you will start of process of transformation. Flow in the spirit.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.