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.

Romans 12: 1

Human beings are a bit complicated, don’t you agree? This weekend I was reminded of the importance of how we live everyday as Christians and let’s begin by considering just one aspect of our lives – the words we speak. James explores part of the problem.

But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

James 3:8-10

The way we speak is just one practical example of how we can live a productive life for Christ. But, when we think about living as a Christian, God is not asking for us to follow more rules or do all the right things in just the right way. Every religion has plenty of rules.

And so, if I have only one opportunity to present a passage of Scripture to a person or group, I invariably turn to Romans 12 because of its clear presentation of the life led by a follower of Christ and so over the next several days we will again consider the five sections of this very practical chapter.

In the verse above, according to Paul, what God wants most from you is not compliance with a set of laws. What he wants most is you – every part of you and Romans 12: 1 is about God’s Lordship in your life.

Think back to the Garden in the opening chapters of Genesis. God was looking for fellowship with mankind and God has made the sacrifices through His Son for relationship with us today.

Are you ready for a real, deeper relationship with Jesus Christ? Romans 12 provides us with a starting point that can produce a follower whose life looks progressively more like His life.