The Mark of the Believer

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1).  
 
Several weeks ago, we began walking through the book of Romans with this verse from Romans chapter 12 about presenting our bodies as living sacrifices because this is our spiritual worship. So now, we are backtracking so that we can view our passage with fresh eyes. It’s time for our call to action. Now that we understand what the Lord is telling us, we need to check ourselves. We have the understanding now of what to do, but are we living this out?

What is the mark of the believer? You’re marked by the Spirit once you become a follower of Jesus, but how do others know that you are a Christian? Well, they know by the substance of your life.  

Your worship is substance. What your devotion is centered on and where your attention lies—that is where you’ll find the source for what makes up your life. So, you are marked by what you worship.  

What do you spend most of your time doing? Most people would say “working.” Our jobs take up an incredible amount of our time, but how are you working? Do you spend your days dwelling on when the weekend will get here or do you lay down your own desires, your own wishes, and seek to help a coworker who’s in need?  

Do you spend most of your free time on social media comparing your life to someone else’s or do you ask the Lord to show you fascinating things about your own life and how your life can bring Him glory?  

What you worship is what you look like.  

If you’ve spent the whole week comparing yourself to others and waiting for the weekend and finding no joy because you’re so focused on finding happiness in your own way and through your own means, then your heart is going to look like a shriveled-up grape because you haven’t given your soul any nutrients.  

However, when you’ve spent the week looking at God and talking to God and meditating before God, then your heart will look like a ripe, juicy fruit because you’ve been nurturing it the whole time. It’s so full it’s about ready to burst, and when it does, the overflow of your worship will saturate everyone around you.  

The mark of the believer is a life full of fruit. Your private life of worship is where your fruit grows, and it must be nurtured every day.