Romans 12:1

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies (dedicating all of yourselves, set apart) as a living sacrifice, holy and well pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship.

We must practice distancing ourselves from the world to set ourselves apart and walk holy before God. The world is selfish, carnal, and opposite of God. God has no satisfaction in the world. We worship God and his leadership when we follow God and keep ourselves holy.

1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a (special) people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies (the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections) of him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

The heart of praise toward God lies in thanksgiving for all He has done for His people. God committed and loved us when we were still in our sins and saved us from hell. God deserves our praise and worship; as we praise Him, we draw closer to Him. Today, give God the praise and thanksgiving for all He does in our lives.

Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to (walk with God and) please Him, for whoever comes (near) to God must (necessarily) believe that God exists and the He rewards those who (earnestly and diligently) seek Him. 

Seeking God is a vital faith builder. When seeking something, we try to learn all we can about the subject. The more we know and increase our knowledge, the more our faith will build. God is a rewarder of those who seek Him in faith. How close we get to God depends entirely on our commitment to learning more about Him.

1 John 4:18

There is no fear in love (dread does not exist). But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves (the expectation of divine) punishment, so the one who is afraid (of God’s judgement) is not perfected in love (has not grown into sufficient understand of God’s love).

As believers, when we make a mistake and sin, the expectation of punishment will manifest in our hearts and minds. Immediately confess that sin to God and return to the Love walk. Fear comes from letting the devil get a foothold and not dealing with the sin. God loves us and willingly forgives us of our sins when we confess them!

1 John 4:16

We have come to know (by personal observation and experience), and have believed (with deep, consistent faith) the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides continually in him.  

God does not force us to be saved or love Him. God gives us the choice by showing His love for us through the example of others and our experience. Love is not just an emotion but a decision of how we will behave and believe. When we choose love, we leave strife, anger, vengeance, and sin behind. We decide to follow the example of God.

1 John 4:7-8

Beloved, let us (unselfishly) love and seek the best for one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves (others) is born of God and knows God (through personal experience).

The Bible says, “Love suffers long and is kind.” When we love each other, we accept the imperfection that exists in us all. The fears, insecurities, impatience, and exhaustion motivate our actions and reactions to those around us. The kindness born out of love goes hand in hand with the love walk because love is kind when it is genuine. 

1 John 4:6 

We (who teach God’s Word) are from God (energized by the Holy Spirit), and whoever knows God (through personal experience) listens to us (and has a deeper understanding of Him). Whoever is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth (motivated by God) and the spirit of error (motivated by Satan).

John recognizes that sound preaching comes from a place of guidance by the Holy Spirit. And those who know God through salvation recognize sound preaching and are not swayed by false teachings and opinions against the knowledge and Word of God. We are to keep our minds sound through the Word and let wisdom found in the Bible keep us clear of error.

1 John 4:5

They (who teach twisted doctrine) are of the world and belong to it; therefore they speak from the (viewpoint of the) world (with its immoral freedom and baseless theories-demanding compliance with their opinions and ridiculing the values of the upright). And the (gullible one of the) world listens closely and pays attention to them. 

The world throws a volume of lies and deception at us through all forms of media and communication—our best guard against the twisted and false doctrine in the knowledge of the Word. When we renew the mind, we need to read and repeat reading. We don’t want to be gullible and accept what is communicated.  

Luke 24:44

Then He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you, everything which has been written about Me in the Law of Moses and the (writings of the) Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. 

Jesus will help us understand what is written about Him in the Bible. When we ask and seek Jesus for wisdom, He will enable us to comprehend the purpose of His life and ours. Jesus is the cornerstone to our salvation and the ability to live victorious lives.

Psalm 32:1-2

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered. Blessed the man to whom the Lord does not impute wickedness, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Praise the Lord for Jesus coming and washing away our sins! Sin burdens the soul and sears the consciousness to the point where sin is not recognized. When Jesus washed away our sins, He washed away the burden, freeing our souls to live a Godly life. We aim to renew our minds and hearts open to Jesus moving in our lives.