God Chasers

One of the classes I had as a senior in high school was being an office aid. Essentially my job was to deliver written messages and student absentee reports to teachers throughout the building each morning. And it was great!

Every morning I would deliver the ‘mail’ to all of the classrooms throughout the school, briefly interrupting classes with waves and high fives to students and a respectful “good morning” greeting or salute to each teacher whose room I had entered.

I also had some free time during that class period where I would sit in the office to complete homework or welcome parents at the window who would be bringing lunch money or checking their students in/out for various reasons.

It was also during this time that I had recently purchased a book entitled God Chasers by Tommy Tenney. So occasionally during my free time I would read a few pages of that book. While I don’t quite remember much of Tenney’s theology or platform, there was a particular section of that book that has continued to shape my thinking more than 20 years later.

I remember reading Romans 12:1-2 and the description and illustrations that he provided for those verses, and it gripped me in a way that I’ve never forgotten. It was during that time that I embraced those words as kind of my life verses.

Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

These verses captured my thinking and really became transformative in the way I thought about life–how I viewed God, myself, and others. Certainly as an 18 year old senior in high school I still had much to learn but it provided a good foundation for moving forward in my relationship with Jesus. And for sure, even more than 20 years later, I haven’t perfected a life of obedience to this Way but I’m convinced that I’m seeing Him continue to do His redeeming work in me as I cling to these words.

Romans was a letter written by Paul to the Roman church who no doubt would have consisted of many former Jews and pagans who had become Jesus followers. So, much of the letter lends itself to some major doctrinal truths intended for these new Christians to embrace as a blueprint for living the Christian life.

In lieu of what had been stated in the first 11 chapters of this letter to the Roman church we read Paul’s words in chapter 12. Paul says, “Therefore I urge you.” I plead with you. I beg of you. In light of all that he’s written up to this point he’s making a declaration for a response from these Roman believers. He doesn’t want them to merely gain intellectual or spiritual knowledge without an ensuing response. He wants their lives to be affected and changed in light of what they have just read, heard, and experienced.

He goes on to say, “by the mercies of God, present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God.” God’s mercy is His willingness to not give us what we deserve. I’m begging you, because God in His kindness is giving you this moment, to place yourselves before the Lord in a posture of submission to His authority. Present yourselves as an acceptable offering that as you are being made into the holy likeness of the nature and character of God.

Here’s where the cultural differences may be lost on us today. In the OT sacrificial system it was common for people to bring animals to the temple to be slaughtered as payment for their sins. But once Jesus came on the scene and provided the once for all sacrifice meant to appease God’s wrath toward sin there was no longer a need for annual animal sacrifices by the people of God. So, now what Paul is saying is, since there is no longer a need offering animals, he’s asking the people to offer themselves. God is calling His people to a daily surrender, a daily dying to self, in order for Him to live in and through us as a new creation and faithful follower of Christ.

Paul says this is your “spiritual service;” your spiritual act of worship. It is the response to His invitation to join the family and fellowship of God and His people. He is calling his readers to make a declaration with both their voices and their lives as an act of faith and obedience that is full of gratitude for the mercy He has shown.

Then he goes on to say “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed.” The idea of conforming is ‘to be made like.’ Paul is saying do not be made like the world. Do not chase what the world chases. Don’t hold the tendencies the world is holding. Don’t hope in what the world is hoping. While you’re in the world, do not become one with the world. Be different.

Transformation has always been a rather interesting concept. This word in the original language of the Bible is where we get our English word metamorphosis. Think caterpillar to butterfly. What Paul is telling the Romans in their journey to following Jesus is not to clean up their outward behavior. Becoming a Jesus follower is not behavior modification or willing ourselves to be better or more morally astute. He’s literally saying, ‘be changed from the inside out.’ Take on a totally new form. Die to that old self to become something entirely new.

How is that even possible? Paul says, “by the renewing of your mind.” I’m convinced, at least in my life, that two of the most important tasks to accomplish God’s will revolves around a constant renewing of my mind and the guarding of my heart. The Bible says, “as a man thinks, so is he.” I am and I will exude what is inside of me. The Bible also says to “guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Our affections and emotions can easily become the driving force of our lives. How we think and how we feel our way through life’s circumstances must be filtered by the transformative work of Christ in our lives.

He goes on to say, “that you may prove the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.” What is God’s will for our lives? For those who call themselves followers of Jesus, certainly, we want to know His will for our lives. And these verses help provide a prescription for how we can know and discern God’s will. His will is good for us. Following His plan will be well-pleasing in His sight. A daily decision to seek Him will create a space for Him to continue perfecting and sanctifying us into the person He wants us to become.

Are you a God chaser? Are you in an all out pursuit for knowing and doing the will of God in your life? Here’s what I know to be true; He made an all out sprint to rescue my heart and mind from the sinful rebellious tendencies that I came into this world carrying. By His mercy, He is granting me another day to purposefully discern what His will is for my life. And His plan for me will always be seen more clearly as I allow the Spirit of God to do the transforming work of renewing my mind and changing this inner man of mine to become more like Jesus.