<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Romans 12;1<div><br></div><div><b>1. &nbsp;I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living, sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><br></b>What are, <i>“the mercies of God”?</i></div><div>This is best understood to be read, “<i>I appeal to you brethren, ‘in view of Christ crucified for us’”. &nbsp; </i>Truly, all the mercies of God are summed up in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. &nbsp;In essence we could say, “See the blood of Christ&nbsp;shed for you.”</div><div><br></div><div>By the grace of God, <i>“our names have been written before the foundation of the world&nbsp;in the Book of Life of the Lamb that&nbsp;was slain.” &nbsp;</i>God’s mercies and Christ crucified from eternity.</div><div>(Revelation 13;8) &nbsp; From this, we may view the entire work of God, from before&nbsp;Creation,&nbsp;through the Day of&nbsp;Judgement as being, <i>“the mercies of God.”</i>.</div><div><br></div><div>But, the mercies of God must&nbsp;especially be understood to&nbsp;behold&nbsp;the Annunciation,&nbsp;the Incarnation the devoted servant-hearted Life of Jesus,&nbsp;on through&nbsp;to His&nbsp;sacrificial, obedient,&nbsp;suffering death,&nbsp;His&nbsp;resurrection, and Ascention to the Right Hand of the Father, so that&nbsp;we be filled and made one&nbsp;with Him and each other. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>This ‘view’&nbsp;is to fill our hearts and minds in such a way that we realize that if we were the only sinful and lost&nbsp;person that ever lived on earth, God in His loving mercy would have sent you Christ your Redeemer.</div><div><br></div><div>Why does Paul call us to consider this ‘view’? &nbsp;In order that we would be overwhelmed with amazement and gratitude. &nbsp;The whole of the Christian’s life is inspired by thankfulness and humility. &nbsp;Ours is to be a&nbsp;life/the Life, lived in response for what God has done and continues to do for us, in us, and through us.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Paul calls us to this ‘view’ in order that we be ashamed of any and all sinful, selfish, self-serving. &nbsp;This is so that we see ourselves as prisoners set free, to newness of Life.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>I love how Paul uses the plural, <i>“bodies”</i>&nbsp;and the singular, <i>“a living sacrifice.” &nbsp;</i>By this simple phrase, Paul presents us with the meta-physical reality of the ‘Una Santa’ meaning the One Holy Church of all true Believers, the very Body of Christ.</div><div><br></div><div><i>“I do not pray for these only, but also, for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou has sent me.” &nbsp;</i>(John 17;20&amp;21)</div><div><br></div><div>To be <i>“holy and acceptable to God” </i>means we cannot ever consider ourselves as set apart and&nbsp;separate individuals&nbsp;before&nbsp;God, but members one of another, sacrificially belonging to God,&nbsp;in God, and God in us. &nbsp;This is the true worship of the Church. It is a mystic sweet&nbsp;communion with the LORD God AND with one another.<u></u></div><div><br></div><div>As the “<i>holy” </i>church, the Body of Christ,&nbsp;we have a purpose,&nbsp;will,&nbsp;Mind,&nbsp;heart, and spirit (of sonship),&nbsp;it is nothing less than the purpose, will, Mind,&nbsp;heart, and spirit of Christ, the Son of God.&nbsp; This is our true existence and it is most pleasing to the Father.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, open our eyes of faith to behold Christ crucified for us. &nbsp;By His indwelling presence by the Holy Spirit inspire us to present our bodies to you, a living sacrifice. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><i><br></i><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Romans 12;1
1.  I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living, sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

What are, “the mercies of God”?This is best understood to be read, “I appeal to you brethren, ‘in view of Christ crucified for us’”.   Truly, all the mercies of God are summed up in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.  In essence we could say, “See the blood of Christ shed for you.”
By the grace of God, “our names have been written before the foundation of the world in the Book of Life of the Lamb that was slain.”  God’s mercies and Christ crucified from eternity.(Revelation 13;8)   From this, we may view the entire work of God, from before Creation, through the Day of Judgement as being, “the mercies of God.”.
But, the mercies of God must especially be understood to behold the Annunciation, the Incarnation the devoted servant-hearted Life of Jesus, on through to His sacrificial, obedient, suffering death, His resurrection, and Ascention to the Right Hand of the Father, so that we be filled and made one with Him and each other.   
This ‘view’ is to fill our hearts and minds in such a way that we realize that if we were the only sinful and lost person that ever lived on earth, God in His loving mercy would have sent you Christ your Redeemer.
Why does Paul call us to consider this ‘view’?  In order that we would be overwhelmed with amazement and gratitude.  The whole of the Christian’s life is inspired by thankfulness and humility.  Ours is to be a life/the Life, lived in response for what God has done and continues to do for us, in us, and through us. 
Paul calls us to this ‘view’ in order that we be ashamed of any and all sinful, selfish, self-serving.  This is so that we see ourselves as prisoners set free, to newness of Life.

I love how Paul uses the plural, “bodies” and the singular, “a living sacrifice.”  By this simple phrase, Paul presents us with the meta-physical reality of the ‘Una Santa’ meaning the One Holy Church of all true Believers, the very Body of Christ.
“I do not pray for these only, but also, for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou has sent me.”  (John 17;20&21)
To be “holy and acceptable to God” means we cannot ever consider ourselves as set apart and separate individuals before God, but members one of another, sacrificially belonging to God, in God, and God in us.  This is the true worship of the Church. It is a mystic sweet communion with the LORD God AND with one another.
As the “holy” church, the Body of Christ, we have a purpose, will, Mind, heart, and spirit (of sonship), it is nothing less than the purpose, will, Mind, heart, and spirit of Christ, the Son of God.  This is our true existence and it is most pleasing to the Father.
Prayer:  Merciful Father, open our eyes of faith to behold Christ crucified for us.  By His indwelling presence by the Holy Spirit inspire us to present our bodies to you, a living sacrifice.  In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”









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