August 30, 2016 - The Apostle Paul calls upon all Christians to give of themselves in service to the Lord. He asks us; "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your "reasonable service". And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:1-2)
Paul beseeches (to make an urgent appeal) us to give ourselves, he begs us in the most powerful way he can, "by the mercies of God", the ultimate appeal for service. And he calls this living sacrifice or total giving of ourselves; "your reasonable service".
We, His children, are the only things God will redeem from this world when we reach the end of this age. We have nothing else to give Him and we should give cheerfully, without reservation.
All saved people have been bought and paid for by the blood of Christ Jesus, while they have not yet been glorified, or made perfect, they still belong to God and by giving of ourselves, we are only giving, to God, what is already His.
No matter how hard we may try, we cannot get totally away from sin because any earthly body is simply an avenue of sin, it is the venue by which all people do sin. So, why not give it gladly to God. Giving over our bodies is the token that proves we are indeed willing to serve God, it is our offering completed.
When we do give willingly of ourselves in service to God's will we become useful vessels for our Lord. By standing in the gap for the gospel we become priests in His kingdom here on earth. Paul said, we are not to be conformed to this world, Paul saw all of this world; nature, society, the intellectual world and the commercial world as being controlled by Satan, the prince of the air, and in being antagonistic to God's cause.
While we must live in it, we cannot be a part of it, we cannot conform to it for we must serve God and not man. Jesus tells us this; "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciple." (John 15:7-8)
When a person is saved and his transformation from the physical world to the spiritual world takes place, he no longer will use his body as an instrument of sin. The change causes him to produce the fruit of the spirit in his life. Only then does the believer become able to prove what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.
In Paul's eyes, this is simply our reasonable service to God. May God bless and keep you each day...
