Good morning, Jesus Army!
My name is Savo, and I want to first start off by saying it is a great honor to share a devotion with you all this morning.

Today, I’ll be coming from Romans 12:1–2:

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing, and perfect will.”

I want to start off by saying this: as believers, we are called to offer our bodies as living sacrifices unto the Lord.

What does that mean?
It means we are called to holiness. We are called to live set apart. We are called to live in the nature of God—to live the way He has called us to live.

That means there has to be a sacrifice.
If we’re going to look like Christ—if we want to look more like Him—then we must be willing to die to our sinful nature, the flesh. We have to be willing to crucify our flesh on the cross so that we may be buried and resurrected with Christ and live out the life He has called us to live.

Some of you are concerned about what God has called you to do on this earth. You’re concerned about your purpose.
I believe the Lord will reveal your calling to you more deeply when you begin to surrender.

Sometimes, the measure of revelation you receive is directly connected to your willingness to die to your flesh. Maybe the reason you’re having a hard time receiving revelation from God is because you’re too busy feeding your flesh.

But if you are offering yourself as a living sacrifice unto the Lord—showing that you are willing to die to your flesh, surrender, and live the way He has called you to live—I guarantee that you will receive more revelation than you’ve ever imagined.

Paul also says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

This is interesting because presenting yourself as a living sacrifice is holy, which means you are set apart. Conforming to the world means taking on its shape. We offer our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord so we won’t be molded into the image of the world—which brings us right back to holiness.

I’d like to end today’s devotion by saying this:
A transformed and renewed mind keeps us from being shaped by the world.

A lot of times, it’s a struggle not to look like the world because of our mind. If the mind is worldly, sinful, or wicked—and there is no renewal—then we will naturally be molded by the hands of the world rather than by the hands of God.

That’s why it’s so important to guard the perceivers the Lord has given us.

What are the perceivers, you may ask?
Your perceivers are your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and hands. What we see, hear, smell, taste, or touch can cause us to fall back into worldly patterns if we are not careful to guard those things.

Your perceiving senses always speak to your mind. There is direct communication between your senses and your mind.

So, if you watch adult films, your mind will take mental notes and images, and you’ll remain stuck in lust, adultery, fornication, and perversion—even in marriage—which means you are conforming to the patterns of this world.

This also applies to the music we listen to, the things we smell, the things we taste, and the things we touch.

To renew our minds, we must guard our senses.
Take what is sinful and replace it with what is holy.
Read the Word. Listen to worship. Speak life. Eat what is healthy.

Don’t hang around people who smoke if it causes you to reminisce about your past.
For those in relationships—don’t cross boundaries. If you know there’s a certain touch that will lead you to do something lustful with your partner, tell them to stop. And if they don’t respect that, let them go.

Kingdom connections are holy connections—they push you closer to God, not further from Him.

Renew your mind by guarding your senses.
Living a holy life sharpens your discernment.

If you want to know the perfect will and plan of God for your life, then live holy and pleasing to the Lord.

Say yes to Jesus.
Offer your body as a living sacrifice.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world.
Constantly renew your mind with the Word of God.

It doesn’t stop—it’s continual.

Remember these few things:
    •    There is no holiness without sacrifice.
    •    There is no worship without sacrifice.
    •    There is no altar without sacrifice.

Your faith comes with a cost, which means there must be sacrifice.

So if you want to live a life holy and pleasing to the Lord, you must be willing to sacrifice your fleshly, sinful nature—your desires and passions.

I love you guys, and I pray that this devotion blesses you today.
You all have a wonderful day.