We are a Sacrifice

This morning I want to look at Romans 12:1-2, "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. 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". The only way we can present ourselves as a holy acceptable sacrifice, is by the mercy of God, through Jesus Christ, and His sacrifice on Calvary. But, even though when we accept Christ as our savior, we are immediately made acceptable, we must make a conscious decision to live in a way that can be considered holy. The question is, how do we know what is acceptable, and what is sin? The answer is in chapter 14:23b, "for whatsoever IS NOT of FAITH IS SIN". I believe that means that anything you do without praying about it, and getting an answer first, is sin.
Why do we need to spend so much time and energy worrying about if something is sin or not, or if we are living holy or not? Look at 14:8, "For whether we live, we live unto the LORD; and whether we die, we die unto the LORD: whether we live therefore, or die, we ARE the LORD's". No matter what we do, we are God's, and in verses 11-12 we see what this means. "For it is written, as I live, saith the LORD, EVERY knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God". When the day of judgment comes, even the most devout atheist will have no choice but to declare the glory of God, and then confess every aspect of his life. So how do we manage to live a holy life? Look at ch. 13:14 But put ye on the LORD Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof". If all of my thoughts are on Jesus, and I pray about each and every decision that I make, there will be no room for sin to enter my life. Unfortunately, I don't always remember, (Or want to remember), to pray about a decision.
Now for a little side note, however it does go right along with the rest of the devotion. Let's look at 12:17, "Recompense to no man evil for evil...". If someone does you wrong, don't get revenge, it's that simple. Verse's 20-21 go a little more in depth on this subject, "Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good". Have you ever heard the old saying, "kill them with kindness"? Same principle here. Nobody said it would be easy, however, if you pray about it, God will not only give you the strength, to do what is right. But, will give you the peace you need to feel good about it, He will also tell you what will have the most impact on that person. Remember, we are the only Christ people will see, by doing what is right toward someone who has done you wrong, that will be a testimony, and a witness to just how good God is. By doing so, you will be presenting your body a living sacrifice.