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Learning How to Live

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 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 12:1-2 NIV

Because of the grace of Jesus, you’ve been given a new identity. No longer are you defined by the sin of your past. Instead, you’re defined by God’s love for you. With that new identity comes a new purpose. What is that purpose? To live as a disciple of Jesus.

What is a disciple? A disciple is a follower. Jesus is our leader and our teacher. Jesus wants to lead us to what is good and true. Jesus wants to teach us how to live as the people of God—people who are moving toward a life that is full of love, purpose, joy, and meaning. People learning how to live life free from sin and in partnership with God.

This is the kind of life the Apostle Paul is describing in the passage above. Offering ourselves to God as living sacrifices looks like learning from Jesus how to live as His disciples.

Discipleship is the process of becoming like Jesus for the sake of others.

Being a disciple of Jesus is a process. It isn’t a one-time decision. It’s a daily commitment to learn from Him and to live like Him.

That daily commitment changes us to actually become more like Jesus. Through committing ourselves to the life and lifestyle of Jesus, we’re doing the work of letting our minds be renewed so that our lives can be transformed.

Finally, all of this is for the sake of others. Jesus came on a rescue mission. His mission was to rescue us from the powers of sin and death and reunite us to God. As His disciples, He has chosen us to carry on that mission and dedicate our lives to loving others the same way He has loved us.

When you place your trust in Jesus, you become His disciple, someone committed to the process of becoming more like Jesus for the sake of others.

It’s important to acknowledge that the life of a disciple is not all sunshine and rainbows. Jesus made it clear that in this world we would experience struggle, strife, and suffering, but we could still follow Him with confidence because He has overcome the world.

Challenge: Read through the rest of Romans 12. As you do, write down the instructions that Paul gives, and pick one or two of them that you can apply to your life today. Then, pray and ask God to help you do it.

Bonus: Watch this video to learn how to pray!