Submitted!

Submitted!

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 KJV

Context and Charge:

Mercy is that unknown yet certain quality and quantity that defines what I get from God. I can't place my finger on the exact spot, yet all of us alive today have received that mercy. It is that mercy that defines very clearly for me what God's expectation is: that of my own free will, I offer my life as a living sacrifice. I must note very carefully also that this instruction is for specific people called brethren, who have identified with Christ and bear His name. If you are not his own, this is not for you. If you are His, this becomes an essential part of my experience. God does not force a man into anything. Have I settled who I am now or do I first need to know where I stand with the God who demands my life?

It is a presenting I must do of my own freewill, not what I am compelled to do. If you know what a sacrifice is, you will have to read the verse above again for clarity. How can you describe a sacrifice properly offered as living? Clearly, from God's perspective, things are quite different. It is a sacrifice that must be both dead and alive to the things God wants. It is a sacrifice that no longer has a mind of its own, living to please itself or satisfy its own desires. It has a new owner now who defines its purpose, pursuits and priorities. The sacrifice is dead to the things that naturally bother the natural man. Who is your owner? The sacrifice is only alive to the things that please the One to whom it is offered.

Conviction and Conclusion:

I note that a sacrifice, properly offered, is my correct and reasonable service. We focus on what man can applaud, forgetting that the right sacrifice is what God applauds. It is the right sacrifice that unlocks the door for God to manifest Himself. Let my heart not seek after what makes it feel good, at the expense of what God wants. When all is said and done, eternal reward is not based on human applause and approval, but on the standards laid down by the God who desires a life of sacrifice from all who claim to be His own. What is my status? Am I living for myself or am I totally surrendered? Can God place a demand on my life, because He owns it? Or am I the master of my own destiny? God's time of favour is here.