I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

Building Faith By The Mercies Of God

The life of a Christian is a glorious manifestation of God’s mercy to all men. There is nothing man can do to measure up to the eternal grace of what God has done for man from the Garden of Eden to the last and final hour of time. Breath of life is given because of the mercy of God allowing the world to continue in the fashion He designed in the beginning. The sun rises and sets apart from the power of human wisdom. Complexities found in the human body declare the image of the eternal maker. Death is a reality only explained from the word of God. Everything in the world of the Christian is determined by the hand of the Lord and His hand alone. Nothing man does or says has any eternal merit apart from the mercy of God and until man realizes how dependent he must be to the nature of God he will never be able to see the worth of his life. To be called a child of God is the ultimate blessing given to lowly man that he may show forth the glory of the Savior. The Christian should live with this knowledge deeply embedded in his mind to present his body a living sacrifice to the One who gave it all. All of God’s people are indebted to His grace. Living holy lives is not just a measure of commandment keeping but the evidence of a change that has taken place in the lives of those who profess to be children of God. Setting apart the body, soul and mind to serve the Lord is what sets the Christian apart from the carnal world. Daily life is finding what is acceptable to God and following that course with great diligence. Pleasing the Lord is the focus of family, work and recreation. The reasonable service of every Christian is the spiritual worship to an eternal Father who gave His Son to save all men. Building faith by the mercies of God knows the debt owed for what He has done and living every day acknowledge that debt.

Conforming to the world hinders the growth of the Christian because it is in conflict with the mercy of God. To conform to something is to become like its nature. Nothing is more foreign to the life of a Christian than the trappings of the world because by its nature it does not serve a holy God and what the world does is not pleasing to the Father. It is impossible to have the heart in the world and the mind on God. As a body of faith under the mercies of God, the heart and mind will either serve the world or love the Father. One is exclusive of the other and cannot be blended together. Too often Christians try to live like the world while maintaining a semblance of spirituality with disastrous results. Building faith by the mercies of God takes a transformation of the mind to be renewed in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. A renewal is a rebirth under the grace of God. There is a new way to think, a new way to speak and a new way to live. Changes take place that are evident in the life of a Christian. Conforming to the world makes the Christian to think like the world, speak like the world and live like the world. Transforming the mind in the grace of God illuminates the spirit to walk separately from the carnal desires of the world. By the mercies of God a change takes place. It is clear, demonstrative and evident by all who know the life of the Christian.

Proving what is good and acceptable and the perfect will of God takes time and energy. It does not happen overnight and will not take place without effort. The Christian desires to do things that are pleasing to God. Anything that is proper for the mercy of God is the main focus of life. Perfecting the heart under the will of God will be the mantra of the soul as it conforms to the image of the Father. The life of a Christian will prove one of two things: either the heart is worldly or it is spiritual. Presenting the body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God will manifest itself in the actions of the person for everyone to see. The manner of dress will reveal the character of the mind. What comes out of the mouth will either give glory to God or reveal a wicked heart. Decisions of life will reflect the attitude the Christian toward serving the Lord. Everything in the life of the Christian is a reflection upon the mercy of God. Building faith takes transformation. Presenting the body as a proof of ones love toward God will be seen by all and leave a lasting impression of grace or grief. Build your faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.