When The Door Slams
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Than you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2
God takes great pleasure in worthy sacrifices. In the Old Testament God gave detailed instructions for how His people were to give their offerings. He declared that these brought a "soothing aroma" to Him (Lev. 1:13, 17). When the Israelites gave an offering to God, it was no longer their own; it belonged entirely to God. God would accept only the best that people could give. It was an insult to almighty God to offer Him animals that were damaged or imperfect in any way. God Himself met the standard for sacrifices when He offered His own Son as the spotless Lamp. Only the death of His perfect Son was a worthy enough offering to atone for the sins of mankind.
Think about this: Now God ask us to lay down our lives on His altar as a living offering. Just as it was in the Old Testament, our sacrifice, once offered, cannot be reclaimed. We belong entirely to God. We cannot make a partial sacrifice of our lives; our offering must be wholehearted. Not as weak and sometimes faithful Christians.
Therefore, if you are a true Christian, your life is not your own. Rather than dying, however, God asks you to live for Him as a living offering. Every day you are to offer your life to Him for His service. You can not serve Him in your spare time or with your leftover resources. In other words, after you serve your flesh and it's evil desires of the world, than you pray and worship God on Sunday. The way you live your life for God is your offering to Him. True Christians unyielding pursue holiness so that their offering to God is unblemished and acceptable to Him (Eph. 4:1; Phil. 1:27; 1: Thess. 2:12).
The wisdom that comes from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, submissive, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace (James 3:17-18).
Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.
Never Rest Ministries
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