Romans 12:1 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.
1 Corinthians 1:10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
Hebrews 13:22 I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.
2 Corinthians 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
1 Thessalonians 4:10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more,
2 Corinthians 6:1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
Paul’s plea was an urgent and earnest request, a cry from the heart. He saw firsthand how people could be easily swayed by temptations of the flesh and this world. Between his journey back to revisit the churches he planted, he would hear of issues within the church, problem people, neglect and complacency of following after God, and hearing of this or witnessing it first hand, he would urge them to get back on track with a life that humbly honors, glorifies, follows, rely on, clings to, trusts in, and obeys Jesus Christ. There were times when Paul would call people out for their selfish and devious acts but mostly he gave repeated urgent requests to turn away from foolishness, bitterness, division, fear, hatred, lusts of the flesh, and love for the worldly.
I wonder what it must have been like living in a time where there was no electricity, iPhone, iPad, computer, TV, podcasts, radio, internet, movies, video games, televised sports, talk shows, social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, email, ebooks, news media outlets, ESPN, CNN, refrigeration, Amazon, FedEx, UPS, education system, hospitals, transportation, cars, trains, planes, industrialization, technology, etc…. Without any of this interference in their lives, they were still able to be swayed away from living for Christ. There is some appeal from the fleshly and worldly that entices us to seek, desire, and chase after that which promises satisfaction to our soul but is never able to live up to the promises no matter how many times or how long we pursue them. If they were enticed away without all of the mind-consuming technology we have now, how much more so can we be? What would Pauls’s appeal to us be? I think it can be found in Philippians 4:8 Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].
