3 Ways to Respond to God’s Grace
Romans 12:1-2 “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.”
What is my responsibility as a Christian for the love and grace that God gives to me?
He has done his part, now what is my part?
You may be thinking, how is it possible to know what my responsibility entails if I don’t even really grasp what God’s grace is all about. One way to remember what God’s grace is that it is God’s riches at Christ’s Expense.
Grace in simple terms is God's unmerited favor, His supernatural enablement, and His empowerment for salvation and for daily sanctification. Grace is everything for nothing to those who don't deserve anything. Grace is what every man needs, what none can earn and what God Alone can and does freely give. The gift of grace makes men fit for salvation, miraculously making separated strangers into God's beloved sons.
2 Corinthians 8:9
The Story of Redemption in Christ
Ephesians 1:4-6 We have the responsibility to respond to God’s grace freely given to us. The simplicity of our responsibility includes these 3 things:
1. Present your bodies as a living sacrifice – how do we do this? First, agree to make the decision to surrender yourself to God, this is a simple choice and challenge to every believer. Second, realize presenting yourself will always require a sacrifice. God wants a living sacrifice, all that we are, so we can be a continuous light to the world as we serve Him. He wants to use us for His glory.
2. Do not be conformed to this world – how do we do this? “Conformed refers to conforming oneself to the outer fashion or outward appearance, accommodating oneself to a model or pattern. Even apparent or superficial conformity to the present world system or any accommodation to its ways would be fatal to the Christian life.” Don’t be conformed to our current world system, its values, or its goals in regard to the moral issues.
3. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind – how do we do this? By reading the Word of God on a consistent basis. As you read, allow the Holy Spirit to radically transform your way of thinking. This requires sacrificing your time, learning new ways to think. We want to renew our mind so that we know what God’s will is for our lives and then actually doing His will.
1. Are you presenting your whole body as a living sacrifice to the Lord to be used for His glory?
2. Are you conforming to the world’s ways, or do you need to adjust things in your life where you are reflecting more of Jesus’ to the world around you?
3. Are you actively renewing your mind by reading the Word of God on a more consistent basis?