Present your bodies as a lving sacrifice

 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Romans 12:1 ESV

In the above verse Paul is making an appeal to his readers. He wants them to give their bodies, their lives as a sacrifice to God. He wants them to give themselves to God as holy and acceptable. In other words he wants them to be living a holy life before God. Why is he appealing for this? Because their lives are to be worship of God. Paul isn't just speaking about worshipping properly on Sunday morning. No, he is calling his reader to live lives worthy of God at all times.

Paul says to present oneself as a living sacrifice is to give God spiritual worship. In John 4:24 Jesus said: “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." ESV. Paul is really supporting what Jesus Himself said. Disciples lives are to be spiritual worship of God and are to be lives lived according to the truth. What is the truth? Jesus also said this; "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” John 14:6 ESV Jesus is the truth. If Jesus disciples are going to live lives of sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, they must be living Christ like. They must live like Him because His life was one that was sacrificial, holy and acceptable to God.

Paul wants his readers to know that they need to be living Christ for the world to see. Living in a way that God would be pleased with.

The question we have to ask ourselves is this; Am I presenting my body, my life to God as a sacrifice holy and acceptable in His sight? If the answer is no, we need to start living like Jesus. We need to truly become one of His disciples. We need to read the gospel accounts of Jesus and start modeling ourselves after Him. We need to read the rest of the New Testament as well to see what the Apostles taught concerning the Christian life. We need to learn and observe everything that Jesus taught. That is how we will live lies sacrificially, holy and acceptable to God.

© 2012 Leo J. Woodman

Love and Honor

 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

1 Peter 2:17 ESV

To paraphrase the verse above. Respect everyone. Love the church. Respect God. Respect your ruler.

Peter uses four brief sentences to make four significant points. Peter wants his readers to understand as followers of Christ these are four things we should exhibit in our lives. 

 

We live in a world today where true respect is not taught as it should be. Tolerance is taught in place of respect. They are not one and the same. Respect is a gift that is given to another. Every person deserves respect and it should be given freely by those that claim to be a follower of Christ. Why do they deserve respect? They bear the image of their creator. Tolerance is accepting what someone does or is, regardless of how you feel about it morally. Tolerance really doesn't show love or respect. It just shows tolerance. Tolerance doesn't really help someone to be all that they can be. It stagnates their life and growth. If we truly respect others we will want what is best for them and help them to attain it.

Love of the brotherhood or the church, is not simply that we “love” to be a part of what we have found to be beneficial for us. No, the kind of love that Peter is speaking of is a deep and abiding love for the members of the body of Christ. He is also speaking of loving the teachings of the church. When we show this kind of love for the brotherhood and its teachings, it is evident that we are committed to the churches best interest in unity. 

 

Respect for God and His word is the highest priority for those that call upon the name of the Lord. We serve a mighty God, we are to respect Him by honoring Him in our lives. We must obey His teachings and teach them to others so they might obey Him as well.

Respect for our rulers is a sign to the world around us that we serve the one that put them in charge. "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." Romans 13:1 ESV Respect for authority is respect for God.

So today, let us love and honor God, His church, All people and those in Authority.

© 2012 Leo J. Woodman