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by Logan Ames

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

We live in a current society where acceptance of diversity is a goal that is never satisfied. What began decades ago as a much-needed movement regarding persons of a different race, nationality, or gender has evolved into the majority being forced to accept the lifestyle choices of the minority, even under threat of fine or imprisonment at times. As I read that quote above by Dr. King, I was struck by how far apart we are now from what he clearly intended. In our society, we are being practically forced to believe that diversity is accepting every person’s “individuality.” Yet, Dr. King says that each person must look beyond his own individual feelings and desires and consider what is best for the common good.

I am certainly not saying that God hasn’t created each person on this earth with some uniqueness. Of course he has! He created males and females differently so they could compliment each other physically, mentally, and emotionally. Then, King David states in Psalm 139:13-14 that God “knits (us) together in (our) mother’s wombs” and that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made." Jesus commands us to “go and make disciples of ALL nations” (Matthew 28:19 [caps mine]). And the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:10, “Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning." Biblical evidence clearly shows that God had at least some diversity in mind when he created us. But what is the purpose of that diversity? While many today believe each person should chase after whatever makes him feel good, God’s Word suggests that our differences are meant for us to worship him and serve others.

This week’s passage is Romans 12:3-8. In my New International Version Bible, the heading for this section is “Humble Service in the Body of Christ." Friends, let me just say that with acceptance of diversity must also come HUMILITY. Those who are pushing for diversity cannot be arrogant, for if you want others to accept your differences, you must also be willing to accept theirs. Paul puts it very simply: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you” (v. 3). He then compares the body of Christ to the human physical body which requires many DIFFERENT working parts in order to fulfill its purpose. He says that even though there are many members who are different, they form just one body (v. 5). His next words in that verse are something most of us probably don’t think about: “Each member belongs to all the others” (v. 5). Think about that. As much as we champion the causes of diversity and individuality, at the end of the day, we still have a RESPONSIBILITY to other members of the body of Christ (the Church). We must look out for their needs and interests ahead of our own, and we worship God by serving each other.

Paul explains in the rest of the section that our true diversity is shown not in our gender, race, nationality, or any other physical characteristic, but in our gifts that came from the Lord according to his grace. The gifts of prophesy, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership, and showing mercy are mentioned, but there are many more. If you are reading this, God has created you with certain talents and abilities that are unique to YOU. If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior and also live with him as your Lord, you have also been given specific spiritual gifts that are unique to you according to the grace you’ve been given. God cares about you so much that he would want to bless you in specific ways and allow you to be a crucial part of the body of believers that will carry his message of redemption to the world. THAT is something to celebrate!

We can and should celebrate our diversity within the body of Christ. We should be grateful for each other and should honor each and every member of the body because God has given each a part in fulfilling his plan to take the gospel to the whole world. But we must keep in mind that our differences are still in submission to God’s truth, since HE is the one who created those differences. This means that in the church, we cannot celebrate the “diversity” that we have created on our own by going against what he has created. Yes, I’m talking about homosexuality and gender modification. But that’s not all. We are not to celebrate preachers who teach things contrary to God’s Word. We cannot celebrate pornography or foul language in the name of “art” or “freedom of expression." Remember that while all of these things establish “diversity” according to the variety of feelings and opinions that come with them, they were not created by God and are not the “gifts” that Paul is talking about in Romans 12:3-8.

Maybe the two most important words of the passage are “in Christ” in verse 5. If our differences are not surrendered to his authority and truth, then they are not to be celebrated. True diversity, however, reveals the joy in knowing Christ and in letting him teach us how to use our gifts, which may often have to do with our race, culture, upbringing, nationality, and gender, to worship him and serve others. Just as the church today is pressured to accept things contrary to God’s Word in the name of “diversity,” there are also many who fail to accept things that are consistent with God’s Word, such as worship styles that might make them uncomfortable. I encourage every one of you who reads this to heed Paul’s words to “think of yourself with sober judgment." Encourage and celebrate one another in the ways of worshiping and serving the Lord. Put your individual concerns aside and use your God-given diversity for the common purpose of doing his will.

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.

by Bill Seng

“Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance…For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” ~Matthew 25:34-36

He appears to be a pope with a heart for the poor who are crying out for justice. But he is not a pope for those who silently pray that someone will recognize their plight and take action that might provide them relief. It has been disappointing to see than an institution that has been the most powerful force in the pro-life movement is now headed up by someone who is more concerned about “social justice” and what the weather is going to be like 50 years from now than for people who are actually dying early as a result of their low quality of life. Whether you know it or not, if you are one of the millions who buy into the phenomenon that we now call “Global Climate Change,” you are unwittingly buying into an agenda that discourages the propagation of life.

Because of Pope Francis, carbon emissions have become public enemy number one on a global scale. Where it used to be a political mandate, now there is an added spiritual mandate that one must conform to the demands of environmentalists who claim that climate change is the world’s most threatening force (never mind the reality that our country just agreed to allow a country with aspirations to bring about the end of the world to have a nuclear weapon). Carbon emissions have been demonized as being a detrimental greenhouse gas that causes global warming and destroys Mother Earth’s o-zone. It is ignored that the most abundant greenhouse gas, H2O, makes up 75% of our wonderful blue planet and dwarfs the impact on the environment that CO2 has. In other words, the ocean will contribute more to the overall climate than all of the carbon emitting sources in the world combined.

The manufactured reality that Pope Francis buys into is that carbon emissions are destroying the planet through Global Climate Change. If this were true, we are in huge trouble because all living organisms exhale CO2. (You are evidently not supposed to remember the fact that plants need CO2 to survive, by the way.) But instead of going the route of China and limiting the number of children each couple has (I think it is now one child per family), the globally approved method for reducing carbon emissions is by reducing carbon emitting pollutants. For this purpose, fossil fuels are number one on the hit list.

The liberal environmentalists insist that if we chop down a few million trees, clear out large fields, and replace the trees with gigantic windmills that are well known for killing off winged members of the endangered species list or with solar panels, we might be able to produce enough electricity to energize Thomas Edison’s first light bulb (which is also an environmental hazard).

Another measure that is greatly encouraged is the electric car. Electric cars release us from the strangle hold that fossil fuels have on our lives. All you do is plug it into the wall and in about 3 hours you have enough energy to drive about 50 miles. And where might this energy that powers this car come from? A power plant that produces energy through coal. Face it, your electric car is fossil fueled. I intend all of this to illustrate that fossil fuels are not a problem. They are a solution to what is now known as energy poverty.

In a letter to the pope, a big person in the fossil fuel industry reminded him of how people live who are deprived of fossil fuels in their countries. They don’t have energy for their factories, fuel for their vehicles to propel them long distances in short frames of time, and they lack the ability to provide lasting heat for their homes that they might enjoy basic necessities like hot meals and warm water at the press of the button or turn of a dial. What is worse, they are forced to cook and heat their homes in more traditional ways, like burning wood, which cause millions of people worldwide to fall victim to respiratory illnesses and die. And yet the United Nations is fighting hard to prevent third world countries from being able to enjoy the life-saving luxuries that fossil fuels provide. The pope does not only allow them to go unopposed; he helps them to push their agenda forward, all for the sake of saving the world. If you ask me, this is throwing out the baby and the bath water. The ones hurt the most are those in poverty.

To millions of people across the globe, the pope represents Christ’s presence on earth. I do not think he is as educated as he should be on this topic, and he is letting many faithful followers down by insisting that the solutions to their problems are indeed the problem itself. I am not going to say that Jesus would be a big oil lobbyist, but I will say that he would be pleased to see his servants fighting against tyrannies who are knowingly and willingly oppressing the poor despite the slander they face along the way. Might I be so bold to say that the oil company that I work for has done more good for my community in two years than all of the churches and social programs in our city combined in ten years? And I am not even kidding when I say that is a generous estimate to the churches and social programs. The pope needs to hear us. America needs to hear us. Those in poverty need to be heard and we can be their voice. But the road will be bumpy along the way.

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.

by Katie Erickson

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” (Romans 12:3-8)

I’ve been a part of a small group through my local church for a number of years now, and one leader we had for most of those years stressed one thing above all else: community. What is community? It’s living our lives together, encouraging each other, helping each other, and correcting each other as needed, all done in Christ like love. We are all different, but we are all unified through Jesus Christ. That is exactly what Paul is talking about in this week’s passage from Romans.

Previously in verses 1-2, Paul gave us the high level overview of how to live out our faith: be a living sacrifice, don’t be conformed to the ways of this world, and be transformed to be like Christ. Now, we see that this is accomplished through a community of Christ followers. But what does that look like?

In verse 3, we see that we can’t be a part of community if we think more highly of ourselves than others. It’s important to have an objective view of yourself, not too proud but not too lowly. Don’t be self-centered, or you’ll never be able to put others’ needs above your own.

In verses 4-6, we see that we are all part of the same body, even though we are all very different. We all have different skills and purposes, and that’s what is needed to make up a body. Each part needs to accomplish a different function. We can’t separate ourselves from one another if we are all a part of the body or the community. There is unity at the same time that there is diversity, and that’s how we work together best.

The church is the body of Jesus Christ. It is because of the death of Jesus’s body that we can be a part of this community. Everyone who has faith and believes in Jesus Christ is part of this community, this body, regardless of age, ethnicity, geographic location, economic status, or whatever. We are all in community together!

Paul realizes that we are still humans, and it’s part of human nature to compare ourselves to others. He is urging against that here, especially comparisons such as who’s better or worse, stronger or weaker, etc. We all have gifts that are unique, and all gifts are important. We are all called to use our gifts, and to use them well for the benefit of the community and the Kingdom of God.

For more on the body of Christ and the gifts that each of us is given, I would encourage you to check out 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4:1-16.

What role do you play in the body of Christ, whether locally or on a larger scale? Find out today and be sure you are living out what it is you’re called to do in your community.

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.

by Nathan Buck

This week I had at least three deep conversations with people about fear. Specifically, I was reminding them that fear is a choice, and fear is based on our imagination of what COULD be, rather than what is. (For more on fear, read my other blog post about it by clicking here.)

When fear lives in our minds, it shuts down our ability to hope or trust. We reject logic, we reject truth, and we reject our faith when we listen to and act on fear. People literally wreck their lives, their marriages, careers, etc. all because they choose to believe and take action on what they imagined could happen.

ANY thought, perspective, or belief living in our minds can move us farther from (or closer to) God. Any thought even has the power to transform our physical bodies and redefine our life. Why? Because our mind controls our body and our spirit. So, what we think about most defines our spiritual and physical existence.

Read Romans 12:1-2. Notice what Paul encourages us to do: offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God, as an act of worship. I believe this part means we should serve God with our physical bodies, and with the help of the Holy Spirit we should discipline ourselves to keep our bodies pure and healthy - staying ready and available to God.

Then Paul says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2). There are two very important things we need to reflect on here. The first is that what our mind dwells on defines what we become. The second is that we become aware and certain of God's will when our minds are renewed by living God's way.

As we were reminded last week, ALL things exist because of, and find fullness in, living for God (Romans 11:36). So, it only makes sense that our worship is to live our lives for God. And it makes even more sense that if we focus our minds on God's teachings, we will know and experience His purposes in and through our lives.

'Garbage in, garbage out' is a simple way to think about it. Whatever we feed our mind is what we become. And if we feed it all the media and drama from the world, then our life will emulate what we have chosen to focus on.

Whether it is fear, or values from our culture, or addictions, or political spin, or other religions, whatever we feed our mind will define us. And as we are defined by those things, it becomes impossible to follow God.

Are you struggling to know God's purpose for your life? Do you struggle with graphic or lustful thoughts? Do you struggle with depressive thoughts? Do you struggle with your body feeling unhealthy or numb?

We have a promise from God's Word that we can be transformed by the renewing of our mind. We become what we feed our minds. So, what trash have you been letting in that needs to go? What Truth from God's Word needs to replace the thoughts, fears, and philosophies that have shacked up in your head?

Take the time to pray, asking God to take those thoughts and images. Say to God that you renounce any permissions or connections you intentionally or accidentally gave to those thoughts, in Jesus’ name. And then ask God to lead you to Bible passages that correct and clarify your thoughts around God's goodness.

His promise is that as you do this - rejecting the worldly ways and renewing your mind - you will be transformed. Your life will look different. Maybe not perfect, and not without challenges, but better, healthier, and filled with God's purposes and plans. Ready for a change?

Take out the trash, fill your mind with God's Word, then “rinse and repeat.”

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.

by Charlie Wolcott

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
~Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV)

This week Worldview Warriors has been addressing Romans 12:1-2. For this post, I want to zoom in this phrase: “Do not be conformed to this world.” What does it mean to not be conformed to this world? Let’s dig in. In the NIV, Romans 12:2 says: “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world.” This is talking about the way of thinking in this world or the worldly system. James illustrates this point further in James 4:4. Here we learn that to be a friend of the world (referencing the worldly system) is to be enmity with God. If we love and follow the ways of the world, we are actually being enemies with God. What is all this talking about?

Let’s take a look at any given nation. There are two types of people in the nation: citizens, and aliens or foreigners. A citizen of a nation is expected to follow and obey the law and order and expectations of what a citizen of that nation is supposed to do. The foreigner is not exactly subject to the laws of the nation he is visiting, but he also does not have the rights that a citizen has. When a law is violated, the nation will often extradite or deport the foreigner. But, there are means for a foreigner to become a citizen of the nation he is living in.

Because of our sin, we all start as citizens of the worldly system. This system has a ruler, the Prince of the Power of the Air, or Satan. It does not take much to figure out how this world thinks. It’s very selfish and self-driven. Logic and reasoning are not exactly involved. This world’s system is about making yourself look as good as you can, push anyone in your way out of the way, and “climb the ladder of success.” You go to school, work for 40 years, retire, then die, and ultimately what value does it have? But as Christians, we renounce our citizenship to this system (confess our sins) and proclaim our loyalty to Jesus Christ (confess Jesus as Lord).

Many do not like Christian teachings because such teachings “do not benefit society.” This is more true than we tend to think. Bill Nye, in his debate with Ken Ham, accused the teaching of creation as slowing down the progress of society. What he means is that the teaching of creation is a detriment to the worldly system thinking of evolution. He sees creation as a threat to his worldview of evolution and he would be right, but not for the reasons he thinks.

Take time to read 1 Corinthians 1:17-31. Here Paul tells us that our system of Christianity, of God’s wisdom, is foolishness to this world. It does not make sense to them. It is totally backwards to what this world knows how to think and act. God repeatedly shows to use what the world considers to be wise, to be strong, to be glorious, to be foolish, to be weak, and to be lame. We have a lot of self-proclaimed experts telling us they know how things should be when they really don’t know what they are talking about. In education, we have a lot of politicians who have never spent any time in a classroom, making decisions on how schools should be run and they have utterly destroyed the system from being effective in giving a real education. Yet this is also true in regards to the other “experts.” We have scientists and philosophers who the world boasts as wise, but every time they open their mouths they say foolish things in rebellion against God. We have mighty armies and mighty heroes that our media praises, but when pitted against the might of God, they tremble. We have celebrities, sport stars, movie stars, etc, but most know nothing of God.

God tells us not to pursue this system, not to pursue this way of thinking. A good friend of mine, Steve Lillis, learned this the hard way. He is a professional pool player but he used his skills and his talents to pursue the life of a celebrity. And he is GOOD. But one day he saw that his pursuit was not worth it. He saw the emptiness in it. He surrendered his game and his life fully to the Lord and 12 years later, God paved the way for him to return to the game, but this time as a minister. He now uses his skills as a trick shot artist to preach the Gospel and it is a powerful ministry. Look him up at www.gospeltrickshot.org.

Another man who learned this secret was CT Studd. I did not know this about him until a couple weeks ago, but he was a famous cricket (a sport similar to baseball, but different) player. He was world famous. He left the sport because he was called to the mission field. He spent the rest of his life in China and India, and after contracting about every disease known to man, was called to interior Africa. He was in the world’s system but he forsook it for the Kingdom of God.

Are we pursuing this world’s system or are we using what God has given us to do his will? Which mindset are we going after: the way the majority of the world thinks, or the way God tells us to think? Christianity is about being conformed into the image of Christ, about having our mind renewed into the likeness of Christ. Look at 1 Corinthians 2:16. Paul quotes Scripture asking, “Who can know the mind of Christ?” But he answers this with, “We have the mind of Christ.” Pay attention to this. If we are born again, if we are being changed into the image of Christ, if the Holy Spirit dwells within us, this is a logical conclusion. We have access to how God thinks. We will not be able to fully understand him, but we can learn and understand in some way how God thinks. I’ll let you chew on that for a while.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world. Do not pursue this world’s way of thinking, this world’s way of pursuing life. It is contrary to how God would have us live. We still live in this world, but as foreigners, and more accurately as ambassadors. We live under a higher law; let us do so.

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.

by Steve Risner

[This blog post is part of a series. The previous one is here, and the next one is here.]

I find myself struck by something I touched on several weeks ago that Tyler Francke wrote in his blog post “How the flap over Gungor shows everything that’s wrong with Ken Ham’s theology.” This link was found within another blog post by Tyler I’ve been dismantling called “10 theological questions no young-earth creationist can answer.” I just keep coming back to this statement in my mind and I’m reminded of it frequently as I read Tyler’s writings. The statement in question is this: “The God of Genesis 6-9 doesn’t really sound like God to me.” As I was out for a run, I heard a snippet of a preacher’s sermon spliced into a song. The preacher said, “What does what you like or not like have to do with whether something is true or not? What would make a person think that what is true depends on what you wish is true or what you think is convenient for you to think is true?” He actually sort of chuckled a little when he said it. This got me, again, thinking about this crazy statement by Tyler.

This is what I will term a sickness that has infected the church in general but also, I feel, society. If someone doesn’t like something God has said, they just act like He didn’t say it. If they don’t like the Bible’s clear position on a social issue, rather than change their position to fit the Bible’s, they’ll change (in their minds) the Bible’s position. This is true of issues like homosexuality, abortion, other sexual disorders, stealing, lying, pride, taking advantage of people, etc. I have friends who have grown up in a “religious” setting (which in and of itself is a problem but that’s another blog post) who decided that since they like a certain sin or want to do a certain thing even though the Bible is clear this thing is wrong, that God must not have meant what He said. We must have misinterpreted His statements. But the fact is, your opinion on the matter actually doesn’t mean anything in terms of it being true or not.

Question: Is God the ultimate authority? Is God ALL good? Is God love? Does He have our best interests in mind? If you answered these questions yes (you should if you believe the Bible), then you should have no trouble accepting what He’s stated as true or as what His desires are for us. It’s a trust issue when we get down to it. Do you trust God? Do you think His plans for you are far better than your own? Do you think He knows more than you do? Do you think He knows what you want or like? Do you think you are important to Him? Do you think He’s capable of lying? Is His Word trustworthy? These are all questions I seriously hope you will take into consideration as you go about your days this week. They are a really big deal any time you have a decision to make in regards to God’s commands, desires, and expectations. One of the most amazing promises in the Bible is found in Jeremiah 29:11: “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” How awesome is it to know the God of the universe, who holds the planets in motion and breathed the stars, has plans for you and for me! He’s wise and loving. What other qualities would He require for us to trust Him?

The bottom line is that God is right regardless of the topic. Truth has no concern for your opinion. He is perfect and His Word is often very clear. Sure, on occasion, we need to do some digging and come up with our best answer to some questions. However, many of life’s questions concerning morals, politics, right and wrong, life’s direction, and a slew of other things have answers that can be found in God’s Word, and His statements are often clear. Too many times we choose to reject God’s Word so we can do whatever we like. But “whatever we like” may be something God has told us to avoid because in the end it brings destruction. Who wants that for their life? Not me.

I think the more honest thing to do in this situation (where you find yourself not submitting to God’s clear instruction) if you’re not going to change your mind is just say it: I reject God because of x, y, z. In the case of the theistic evolutionist, they don’t like what God has said, but rather than just be honest about it and walk away (which, obviously, I don’t want anyone to do this—repenting and accepting God’s Word is ALWAYS the right choice), they choose to distort God’s Word to fit their plans and desires. We find theistic evolutionists saying erroneous things about the history of the church or the Bible, about morals and the one true way, about science or theology, just so they can hold hands with the world and with Jesus. This cannot be. They’re fooling themselves and are trying to take others with them. They speak these inaccuracies so often and with such confidence that many assume they’re true. Let’s educate ourselves. Let’s seek God FIRST and use the Bible as the filter by which we view the world rather than the other way around.

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.

by Logan Ames

You probably know someone who fits the description above. I’m talking about that manager who lets power go straight to his head, or that lawyer who walks and talks like she owns you and everything around you. In some cases, you have a chance to know these people before they experience the change that brings them to the top. I have worked at places where people are changing and upgrading their positions all the time, and I have known some who fit what I am describing. There have been those who seemed to work so well as teammates then were awful bosses. You could say this about some pastors, many politicians, and even professional athletes who become “stars." As servants, they are great. But when they become or act like masters, it’s hard to be around them or even listen to anything they say because of their arrogance. They seem to want to control EVERYTHING.

With that picture in mind, I’d like you to now view it as a metaphor for the human body. The human body is a wonderful thing when used in service to the Lord, but if you allow it to rule over you, it will lead you to guaranteed destruction. There may be no bigger culprit for the problems in this world right now. We’re basically told by the media and many others that whatever a person “feels” is acceptable. It’s not anyone’s fault or choice that they feel a certain way or even act on their feelings. We should all be able to do whatever we want and whatever feels right to us, regardless of how it affects someone else or whether it’s consistent with God’s will for our lives. That’s what so many are believing these days and we are seeing the result - new levels of depravity and people who “invent ways of doing evil” (Romans 1:30).

The Apostle Paul knew that the body could be very dangerous if not kept in check. He told the Corinthian church, “I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:27). That’s a pretty strong statement and shows just how critical this is. Paul is willing to actually beat his own body to keep it from becoming his master. Now, some of the early Christians took this to the extreme and would literally starve themselves and expose themselves to harsh weather elements in order to attempt to please God by achieving some superb level of discipline. But just think about how we have to do this anytime we want some long-term goal for ourselves. If you want to be healthy, you have to resist your cravings for what you want at times. If you want to quit smoking or break free from some other addiction, you have to deal with resisting your temptations and even your physical “need” for the substance. If you are training for a marathon or some other athletic achievement, you have to endure physical pain while you teach your body what to do. If you are unwilling to take your own body captive, you can’t get the desired results you want in life.

But there’s more to it than that. In this week’s passage of Romans 12:1-2, Paul says that our ONLY appropriate response to seeing what God has done for us (as explained throughout the rest of the letter) is to worship him by “offering our bodies as a living sacrifice." If we do this, Paul says that we will be able to know and do God’s will (verse 2). You see, too often believers are waiting for God to make things happen in their lives. They are waiting for God to almost force a change within them. God is able to do this, but most often he is giving us opportunities to CHOOSE to put aside the desires of our flesh and trust in him. Rather than conforming to a world where everyone believes they should just get and do whatever they want, we must “be transformed by the renewing of our minds” that happens through the power of the Holy Spirit (verse 2). The more we submit our bodies, which includes all the feelings and fleshly desires that come with them, the clearer God’s will becomes in our eyes.

Apart from surrendering our bodies to the Lord for his service, we simply cannot see God’s will. I mean, just think about all the ways our flesh and our feelings are incompatible with his Word. Sexual immorality is probably the first one that comes to mind for most. Whether it’s pornography, inappropriate messages between consenting individuals, or physical sexual activity, it all serves the desires of the flesh. God’s Word, on the other hand, commands us to “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18). If you are someone who is easily angered or who believes you are justified when you are angry, God’s Word disagrees. James says we should be “slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:19-20). There are countless other examples. Cain killed Abel out of jealousy and a worldly desire to be accepted by God the way his brother was (Genesis 4:3-8). Pilate, King Herod, and the chief priests all opposed the Messiah that came to save them simply because they cherished the power, control, and authority that they had. King David (2 Samuel 11) and Samson (Judges 16) were both men set apart by God and given special gifts, but they were brought down, at least temporarily, by their lusts of the flesh.

As you are reading this, be thinking about which areas of your own life have been controlled by your body. Learn from the past. History reveals that those who allow their emotions and fleshly desires to drive everything they do end up destroying themselves. This doesn’t mean you can’t want things. But it does mean that we must accept that everything we want has to be under submission to God’s will. You can wake up each day and be thankful that God gave you a body that works for the most part. Instead of thinking about ways to make yourself feel good, try asking God each day to show you how you can use what he has given you to serve others and bring him glory. You won’t be seeking to fulfill your worldly desires anymore, but you’ll find more lasting fulfillment as God blesses you than you could have ever found on your own.

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