Tackling God's Impossible Call of Holy Living - Trusting in His mercy!

Did you make any resolutions for 2025? As I began to write this devotion, it was January 7. The New Year was only one week old. How are you doing on your resolution, or goals? Have you broken them, or yet failed in your good intentions? My daughter, Mary, showed me a Christian news e-mail, called “Pour Over.” One of the notes on Wednesday, January 8 reads, “If you’re still plugging along at your fresh fitness goals for 2025, congratulations! You’re already doing better than the almost 25% of resolution-making Americans who quit after week one.”

If you might be struggling with your wishes for a more healthy life in 2025, please consider with me God’s call and His wisdom for His children which we find in Romans 12:1? “1 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.”

Imagine! God calls His people to lives of worship, worship which is willing to sacrifice in order to serve our Lord and Savior. Now, even though we know that Paul, inspired by God, is right, that is a difficult goal! I am sure that if we are falling behind in our New Year’s resolutions, or struggling in our current personal goals, this call from God seems impossible. I easily remember times in the last days where I have failed in living sacrificially for my Lord. How about you?

The world around us works against our healthy goals. Selfishness is so easy! Indulgence, anger, lust, and greed come so naturally! We prefer self-reliance, rather than faith in the goodness of God. The enemy fights our plans for spiritual health. Keeping our resolutions, persevering in our goals, is difficult.

But, to “present [our] bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,” seems totally impossible. We know our past failures. Where could we find it in ourselves to live in such a faithful and holy way? If we are honest with ourselves, we know that we have failed, and we do fail. No wonder John writes, “8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1John 1:8) Our sinful nature is a verifiable fact!

This sobering truth nevertheless leads us to the amazing mercy of God. If we look more closely at Romans 12, God’s MERCY is the power to work toward the impossible goal of holy living. “1 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

God’s mercy is His power to change lives. And surprisingly, God calls sinners to do His holy work. If you are reading with me through the Bible in two years, we are currently meditating on the book of the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 6 is an interesting chapter. In that chapter Isaiah recounts a vision he had of the throne room of God Himself. The prophet was sure he was a dead man. In verse 5 Isaiah shares, “5 And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’” Isaiah knew his sin, and he was sure of his condemnation.

But, the rest of the Isaiah 6 account tells us of God’s mercy. “6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: ‘“Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.’ 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’” (Isaiah 6:6-8)

Truthfully, we are weak and sinful. But thankfully, like God cleansed Isaiah, He cleanses us in the blood of Jesus. We are weak and sinful, but thankfully, by His mercy, we live in the grace of God’s forgiveness found in Jesus. Remember the words of Romans 12:1. “1 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.”

Don’t just dwell on your failures. We face God’s call to righteous living, His call to make a difference for good in this world, “by the mercies of God.” Consider also how God used sinful people like Noah, and Moses, and Rahab, and David, and Bathsheba, and Peter, and Paul. God forgave their sin and called them to His service. Scripture is full of the wonderful work God accomplished through these sinful people!

It is not just for a New Year, but for new lives in Jesus that our Heavenly Father calls us, “1 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.” Our Lord calls us, and He empowers us for this holy task in His Mercy.

What holy task does God have in store for you in this coming year? Please remember, we live in the grace and the mercy of God! Please remember, our Lord forgives you, and can and does accomplish great things for His kingdom through You!