Jerry Bridges wrote, “We must not allow our emotions to hold sway over our minds. Rather, we must seek to let the truth of God rule our minds. Our emotions must become subservient to the truth.”[1] When counseling and discipling in the local church, it’s not uncommon to meet with a Christian brother or sister, and to discover that they have fallen prey to what Bridges warns about. Anger, fear, sadness, anxiety, or shame reign supreme, instead of God and his truth.
Romans 12:1–2 provides a spiritual roadmap for those ruled by their emotions—or more specifically, for those who are learning not to be ruled by their emotions. As we walk alongside these fellow believers, encouraging and instructing them with Scripture, these verses provide a new path for them to follow, to pursue a life that is both steadfast and submitted to God:
“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. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern [approve] what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1–2)
Throughout this article, several “checkpoints” are provided to discuss with those who are ruled by their emotions. These discussions (or mini-lessons) are designed to help a person meditate on and live the truths of Romans 12:1–2.
Be Motivated by Mercy
To motivate us to live in steadfast devotion to the Lord, Paul doesn’t rely on guilt, fear, or personal fortitude. Instead, he directs our attention to the mercy of God—his goodness and kindness to those who don’t deserve it. The expression of divine mercy is his common mercies as our Creator and his saving mercies as our Re-Creator. By mercy, God made and sustains us, and now he floods us with lovingkindness as new creatures in Christ.
- Checkpoint 1: Read Psalm 145 and see how God mercifully provides and preserves his creation. In what specific ways has God physically and materially provided for you and preserved your life? Thank and praise him for those mercies.
- Checkpoint 2: Read and personalize Romans 3:10–18. Describe the sin nature and deeds that once characterized you before you were made new in Christ. Thank and praise him for giving you spiritual eyes to see your need for his mercy.
- Checkpoint 3: Skim Romans 1–11 and list a dozen or more ways God shows mercy to sinners. Which three are currently the most meaningful to you, and why? How do those mercies provide you with motivation to live wholly devoted to God? Thank and praise him for these mercies.
Present Your Body as a Living Sacrifice
In Romans 12:1, Paul provides us with a graphic metaphor for the Christian life: “present your bodies as a living sacrifice.” Unlike the animals slain on the altar in the Old Testament, we’re called to offer our bodies—and our very lives—to God. Yet like the burnt offering that was devoted to the Lord, offered daily on a never-ending fire, and utterly reduced to ashes, we are now to present to God all that we are and do. Our devotion is to be comprehensive and unceasing. R.C. Sproul explains, “God does not ask us to bring in our livestock and burn it on the altar; he asks us to give ourselves.”[2]
- Checkpoint 4: Read Romans 6:11–14. How have you been using the “members” of your body for both righteousness and unrighteousness? Where there has been unrighteous use, how are you now to view and specifically use those “members” as part of the living sacrifice God redeemed you to be? Humbly confess and repent of any known sin.
- Checkpoint 5: Read Mark 12:28–30. Consider that not only your body, but also your inner person described by Jesus, is a part of the living sacrifice. List the many “intangible” aspects of your inner person (affections, hopes, desires, beliefs, will, intellect, emotions, etc.). Which of those have you been reserving for yourself? Ask the Lord for grace, wisdom, and courage to wholly devote each of them to him.
Do Not Be Conformed to the World
When a coin is produced by the U.S. Mint, a metal disk is fed into a press that holds two dies engraved with images for both sides of the coin. Once the disk is in place, the dies slam together with up to 100 tons of pressure. The world (this present, evil age) is a massive coin press. We find ourselves under its intense pressure to be shaped to the thoughts and ways of fallen humanity which are in opposition to God. The world is not morally neutral, and in Romans 12:2 Paul stresses the necessity of not conforming to it.
- Checkpoint 6: Listen to the sermon, “The Aim of Christian Exhortation,” by Richard Caldwell on Romans 12:2–4, HERE. In what ways do you see yourself conforming to the world? How can you apply to your life the six truths of non-conformity provided in the sermon? Give thanks to the Lord for the desire and ability to walk in his ways.
Be Transformed by the Renewal of Your Mind
Paul continues in Romans 12:2 by instructing us to “be transformed” by the renewal of our minds. It’s important to understand that when Paul said, “be transformed,” he was giving a passive command, which means that we are obligated to have something happen to us. The Spirit spiritually transforms us as we fill our minds with his word, receiving it with faith. We must take responsibility to place ourselves in a position to be transformed by God. And that position is under his word—being taught, reproved, corrected, and trained by it.
- Checkpoint 7: Read 2 Timothy 3:16–17. How has the Spirit been transforming you as you’re renewing your mind with Scripture? Which Bible passages has he used to teach, reprove, correct, and train you in righteousness? In what practical ways can you consistently be receiving God’s word? Thank and praise him for his transforming work in your life.
Approve the Will of God
The renewal of our minds has a purpose: to not only know God’s moral will revealed in Scripture, but to approve it—to assess and accept it as favorable for one’s own life. To value it. This valuing results in obedience to God’s will, just as our Savior submitted himself to the Father, in life and death. To approve the revealed will of God, we must renew our minds with it, understand that it’s good, acceptable, and perfect in every matter of life, and commit ourselves to put it into practice.
- Checkpoint 8: Read John 4:34, 14:31; Luke 22:42; Psalm 40:8. What do these verses reveal about how Jesus related to the Father and his will? How have you benefited from Jesus doing the Father’s will? In what ways can you follow Jesus’s example of devotion to the Father? Pray for grace to know, value, and obey God’s will.
- Checkpoint 9: Is there a circumstance in your life in which you need to approve the will of God? If so, answer these three questions:
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- What am I facing? (Assess the situation biblically.)
- What do I need to know? (Identify relevant biblical truth.)
- What do I need to do? (Decide upon a biblical response and follow through.) Pray for grace to trust and obey.
The Final Checkpoint
The roadmap’s final checkpoint isn’t a point of arrival. For those learning not to be ruled by their emotions, it’s a time to often revisit as they grow in living under the rule of Christ. Romans 12:1–2 is a God-given paradigm for the Christian life, providing directions for leaving the old ways behind and pressing on to greater Christlikeness.
- Checkpoint 10: Memorize Romans 12:1–2. Review the five elements of steadfast living: be motivated by mercy, present your body as a living sacrifice, do not be conformed to this world, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, and approve the will of God. Continue to follow this roadmap for the Christian life and pray for God’s grace to pursue a life wholly devoted to him.
[1] Jerry Bridges, Trusting God (NavPress, 1988), 140.
[2] R.C. Sproul, The Gospel of God: An Exposition of Romans (Christian Focus Publications, 1994), 195. Emphasis added.
