"Therefore I urge you... 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." Romans 12:1
I love the way Paul appeals to our will i.e our God-given choice about how we live. I am always challenged by this verse and so I thought I'd share my thoughts on it. I have always been struck by the challenge Paul presents us with to live our lives in a way that is holy and pleasing to God but I hadn't considered the reference in this verse to the fact that this is actually a response to God's mercy. I guess we are only able to offer ourselves to God because of His mercy and as we do He works His mercy in us.
I was spending some time worshipping recently thinking about the holiness of God and couldn't help but think of how God has set us apart as a holy people, a royal priesthood. I was actually really moved when I considered that because of His mercy I am already holy. How incredible is the sacrifice that has been made for us.
God wants us, not just the work we do for Him but us. We have got to make choices and establish convictions in our lives in order that the sacrifice of our body, soul and spirit are holy and pleasing to Him. The Old Testament sacrifices were to be without blemish, having no defect in order that they would be a sweet aroma to the Lord and I imagine we are to be the same. I just love the fact that as we offer ourselves to God and submit to His work of holiness that He purifies us. For me, the most important part of this is to remember that it is Him who makes me holy. There have been many times when I have tried to make myself holy and to be honest I end up feeling the exact opposite. We can't make ourselves something we already are. We just have to chose to honour him with our lives so that all that we are is worship to Him and the Holy Spirit can reside in His fullness.
This is a topic I am going to consider over the next number of posts as I reacquaint myself with it again.
3 comments:
I love what the Lord is highlighting with you at the moment - it's an absolute heart's cry for me too! I don't think we ever grow past this, or mature beyond it - it's all about every choice given as an act of worship - and every bit of it stems from this indescribable mercy that God has hunted us down with - WOW!!!!
He really is the most mindblowing, awe-inspiring, heart-healing GOD!
Great to hear your thoughts Claire!
Loads of love,
Kathryn
x
Thanks Kathryn! I've always been captured by the 2nd part of the verse and all of a sudden 'in view of God's mercy' was so obvious - how did I miss it? The rest of this verse suddenly feels possible in light of the "indescribable mercy that God has hunted us down with-wow!" Kath, you should write songs!!!!! (maybe leave out the 'wow!' bit though)
Thanks, love your perspective!
x Claire
just flicking thru your's and JP's bloggs and found another topic which has been in my heart for years......giving our selves mind, soul and body to God in worship. We get loads of teaching on the first two but hardly any on the last, the body!! Any teaching on the body always seems to vere toward the sexual which is all good and proper but how does that fit into our actual worship? Some seem to beleive that its our day to day work that expressess this. I beleive its more. I am a bit of a flag waver mostly because I feel the need to give my body in worship....raising my hands is not enough!!!!! I often feel I give my body to my work ,my wife , my kids but when do I give it to my Lord my saviour , my lover , my friend. Am I totaly alone in this?!!!
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