As His bride, we have to account to Jesus for the way in which we rule our body under His rule.
Rom 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. NIV
The grace of God is absolute, His salvation is perfect… it’s done forever. The thing for us to do is to work out what God works in us. Paul tells us that we are to work out our own salvation; we are responsible for doing it. Let’s look at what he is telling us.
Salvation is the First Step
The burnt offering was presented at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting so that it would be acceptable to the Lord. In accepting Jesus’ gift of salvation by your own free will you became His, to live as His bondservant.
Our Consecration to God for Service is the Next Step
We can’t fully consecrate ourselves until we know, love, and trust God and that only comes with the “urging” of the Holy Spirit. The word for urge in the KJV is beseech. As used here it is paraclete, the word for the Holy Spirit; I paraclete you in the name of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is pleading with “us” to give ourselves to The Lord. He won’t press us beyond our will. We need to present ourselves with total gladness.
Our Consecration is Specific and Definite
To Offer your bodies a living sacrifice is not some emotional response, it’s a real, practical commitment for service. As A. B. Simpson put it: “It means to give your eyes to see Him, your ears to hear only what He is pleased to have you hear, your tongue to speak always at His bidding, your hands to be employed for Him, your feet to walk for Him, your physical senses to be possesses by Him, controlled by Him, and in everything subject to His will.”
It’s Holy and Pleasing to God
Holy and pleasing to God. Our life has been made holy by the Grace of God and our offering it back to God makes it doubly holy. God is pleased to accept our gift that is presented with a sincere, loving heart.
It’s a Spiritual Consecration
Your spiritual act of worship. You are not bringing a dead sacrifice to Him, you are bringing your living body… the life you are to live, your service. And that means you are to bring not only your outward members but your inward powers, faculties, and capacities… your whole surrendered self. Simpson summed it up for us: “Our affections, our friendships, and our friends are to be His, used for Him and controlled by His perfect will. Our whole inner being is to be one constant outflowing of the incense of prayer and praise, trust and love, as sweet-smelling savor to God.”
Whenever I meditate on this verse I see the foundation of our journey through this life, a journey from the Cross to Spiritual Maturity. It all stands upon our giving all our ourselves to the Lord in service to Him… physically and spiritually. Like the bondservant, we could have chosen to leave but out of love for our master we chose to remain in service to Him. So then let us serve with all that we have … our outward members and our inward powers. After all, they are precious gifts from Him.
This Wednesday’s Video Challenge
031 It’s All The Rage