Romans 12:1-2

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:1-2).

 

Comment:

We are quite familiar in Unity with Romans 12:2. We become "conformed to this world" when we allow the illusions of separation, lack, and limitation to become the energy motivating our choices and actions in this world. We believe in the reports of our five senses rather than our spiritual guidance. We are "transformed" when, in the midst of this human experience, we remember the truth of who we are—the Christ of God—and allow that truth to shape our choices. That transformation can only happen when we truly believe in our innate Oneness with God—when we realize that through our inner guidance, we can always "discern what is the will of God" and trust that discernment to always bring about our highest good.

But what is the significance of the preceding verse? How—and why—are we to "present our bodies as a living sacrifice"? It seems to me that Paul is describing the process of getting to the point of transformation. We cannot transform to spiritual consciousness unless we first release ourselves from the 'bondage of flesh'—the priorities of our human expressions and experiences. It's not that the things of the flesh—our bodies—are evil; they are "holy and acceptable to God." But they can no longer be our highest priority. We must allow our newfound discernment of the will of God to guide us to the proper balance that will allow our spiritual purpose to fully express in our human lives.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed