Romans 12:1 ESV
[1] 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.
Paul writes the words of the verse above, to those who are loved by God and called to be saints who were living in Rome at the time. It was a time of great upheaval and tribulations for believers at the time, and Paul himself would know a little bit about the trouble and tough times that were his constant experiences. It is difficult to preach a message of salvation that is comfortable and convenient at all times, and does not call you into some form of tough decisions. There can be no true message about Christ that will not contain a call to be strong, to be focused and to endure the tough times that will definitely come. Be careful of any message that tells you that ALL your problems will be over once you come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The truth is that knowledge will save you from eternal damnation, but it will then demand from you different lifestyles, choices, pursuits and priorities.
That is the message of the verse above. Coming from a man who had experienced both sides of the eternity divide, he would know which one was ideal. He was speaking then to those who had an understanding of the demand placed on them by virtue of their decision to surrender their lives to Christ, and the message is still for us who are walking in that same path today. Do not assume that you are one; you really need to be sure that you are one. Like it was pointed out above, the demand on you is huge. It leaves no room for alternative options, or concurrent pursuits, where you can play both sides successfully and still make it to heaven with God. God is an absolute yet benevolent monarch in the sense that He does not force Himself on anyone, or go against the exercise of my freewill, yet there is a price to pay for rejecting Him to the end, and no force in heaven or on earth can make Him change His mind about the eternal consequences of my actions and decisions.
He demands total allegiance, not partial or incomplete submission. He will not compel, but He does give sufficient grace for willing surrender. He wants me to present my life to Him out of a willing heart, a heart moved by love for Him, not by obligation or compulsion. When it is done out of love, the trials of life will not shake the resolve or commitment. When it is done out of duty, once the scheme or motivation keeping me bound is expired, the relationship is also at the risk of ending. The nature of the sacrifice is also laid out, as it has to be in a form that God can accept. The excuse that God takes me as I am only works at the point of acceptance; once you are in, a new way of life is demanded, which lines up with the life and nature of God. It is a spiritual act of worship, and of course, the spiritual controls the physical. Once I get it right in the spiritual, the physical is sorted. The appeal goes out again to all; how would you respond? Remember, eternity with God rests on the right decision. God's time of favour is here.
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