Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints by John Piper & Justin Taylor

Author:John Piper & Justin Taylor
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Religion
ISBN: 9781433501142
Publisher: Crossway
Published: 2008-08-26T22:00:00+00:00

of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God . . . and offer the

parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. (Rom.

6:12–14, niv)

What can we do without our bodies? That’s the significance of

Romans 12:1–2:

I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as

living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act

of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (niv)

Notice the interrelation of mind and body. It’s not just that we

should renew our minds and expect that our bodies will follow.

Rather, we offer our bodies to place ourselves where our minds can

be renewed.

We use our hands to write the check and put it in the offering

plate. Where we put our treasure through the physical discipline of

giving, our hearts will follow (Matt. 6:21).

We open our mouths to share the gospel. We move our legs to

run from immorality. We avert our eyes to avoid looking at someone

with lust.

Bodily actions open a Bible and turn off a television. To read a

book or listen to God we have to make a concerted effort to turn our

ears and eyes away from this loud, invasive world.

5Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives (New York: HarperCollins, 1991), 6.

88

Randy Alcorn

We’re not only spiritual beings, we’re physical. If we don’t offer

our bodies as living sacrifices, our minds won’t be renewed. Why?

Because our minds will only be fed and shaped by the input our bod-

ies provide them.

Consider again Psalm 1. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the

counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the

seat of scoffers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law

he meditates day and night.” In each case, there is a physical action—

walk, stand, sit. To meditate on the Word involves opening it with our

hands, looking at it with our eyes, or speaking it with our lips.

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

making the best use of the time” (Eph. 5:15–16). Why not redeem two

hours of your day that you would have spent on television, newspa-

per, video games, phone, working overtime, or hobbies? Change your

habits. Spend one hour meditating on and/or memorizing Scripture.

Spend the other hour reading a great book. Share what you’re learn-

ing with your spouse and children, or a friend.

Listen to Scripture and audio books and praise music while you

fold clothes, pull weeds, or drive. Say no to talk radio or sports radio,

not because they’re bad but because you have something better to

do. Fast from television, radio, and the Internet for a week. Discover

how much more time you have. Redeem that time by establishing new

habits of cultivating your inner life and learning to abide in Christ.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I

in him, he it is that bears much fruit; for apart from me you can do

nothing” (John 15:5).

Give Jesus first place in your life.

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