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| March 6, 2002 |
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| "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1 In other words: I beg of you, Christians, by the mercies of God that you yield your bodies ~ your total personalities ~ a living sacrifice, set apart for God, well-pleasing to God, which is your rational or spiritual service! Dedication is an act of surrender or submission to God's will for our lives whereby we become a "living sacrifice." Daily dependence on God results in our transformation into the image of Christ. When we seek to discern the will of God we must also be committed to doing the will of God as it is revealed in the Word of God. Many Christians today have stopped and pitched their tent halfway between the swamp and the peak. They are mediocre! They want no element of sacrifice, no bothersome tasks, and believe it or not, no disturbances from their daily routines! They are not getting anywhere with God either! What must our Lord think of us if His work and His witness depend upon the security and the safety and the convenience of His people? Definitely something to think about folks! I believe that anyone who brings up the question of consequences in the Christian life is only a mediocre and common Christian! If you are interested in a deeper relationship with God, you must trust and obey His will for your life. Abide in Him, and He will in you! "By the mercies of God" ~ the plural is a Hebraism, denoting an abundance of mercy. God is rich in mercy ~ He has plenty of it! He has used a lot of it for me, but there's plenty left for you too! "Mercy" means compassion, pity, and the tenderness of God. His compassions never fail! We are called upon to "present" ~ to yield. He says to yield "your bodies," your total personalities. The body is the instrument through which we express ourselves. The mind, the affections, the will, and the Holy Spirit can use the body. We are told to glorify God in our bodies. "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's (1Corinthians 6:20). "According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death" (Philippians 1:20). "Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body" (2Corinthians 4:10). By an act of the will we place our total personalities at the disposal of God. This is our "reasonable service," our rational service, and it is well-pleasing to God. May God bless you today as you remember that obedience brings God's blessing. Love in Christ Jesus, Sandy |