Description
Sex, Temptation, and Modesty (27,500 words) – Romans 12:1-2 is part of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome. In these verses, he is transitioning from the doctrinal discussions in the earlier chapters to practical applications of those teachings in the lives of believers. It would be wise for today’s Christians to study and heed the apostle’s teaching, and I hope this small treatment on sex and temptation will assist from an application perspective. Paul begins by appealing to the believers based on the mercies of God, which he has elaborated on in the preceding chapters (1-11). These mercies include God’s gracious act of providing salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, forgiveness of sins, and the promise of eternal life. This appeal suggests that the response to God’s mercy should be one of action and dedication on the part of the believer.
In the Old Testament, sacrifices were central to worship, involving the offering of animals or other goods to God. Paul uses this imagery to call for a different kind of sacrifice: believers offering their own lives to God. Unlike the dead sacrifices of animals, Christians are to offer themselves as living sacrifices. This lifestyle means living in a way that is holy (set apart for God) and pleasing to Him, which Paul describes as the true or rational (logical) form of worship. It signifies a total dedication of one’s life to God’s service.
Paul warns the believers in his day against adopting the values and behaviors of the worldly society that are opposed to God’s ways, which involves resisting societal pressures to behave in ways that contradict God’s teachings. Instead of conforming to worldly patterns, believers are to be transformed, which begins in the mind—the source of all our sin patterns. It involves a complete change in how one thinks, leading to behavioral change. This mind renewal enables believers to understand and discern God’s will—what is good, pleasing, and perfect. The ultimate goal of not conforming and being transformed is so that believers can understand God’s will. We must recognize what is morally good, pleasing to God, and in line with His perfect plan and purposes. Romans 12:1-2 calls for a radical reorientation of the believer’s life in response to God’s mercy—a wholehearted commitment to God, marked by a life that is distinct from the world’s ways and aligned with God’s will, achieved through ongoing transformation that starts from within.
In this book, I aim to avoid the pitfalls of legalism where the Christian mimics the behaviors of cold-hearted religion while not succumbing to cultural pressures to be like the world. We want to address our hearts while seeking God to learn what is acceptable and pleasing to Him. Our marching orders come from His mind and will, not the traditions of the culture or religion.
Rick Thomas