X\n\nPresent Your Bodies a Living Sacrifice
\n\nPart One
\n\n
\n\nIn Paul’s letter to the born-again\nbelievers in 1st Century Rome, he urges them to present their physical\nbodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord\n(1).
\n\nIn his letter to the born-again believers in Ephesus, Paul implores\nthem to walk (live) in a manner worthy of their calling (2).
\n\nIn this\narticle, we will see the major part that “presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice”\nplays in living a lifestyle befitting those who bear the name Christian.
\n\nPaul refers to doing so, as engaging\nin our “spiritual service of worship.”
\n\nIn\naccordance with the Matt. 28: 19, 20 plan of God, it is when born again\nbelievers are gathered together (physically or via means of modern day means of\ncommunication) for worship services that the Word of God is to be taught and reiterated.
\n\nWorshiping\nGod by means of applying the Word of God, mostly takes place when we are away\nfrom our local assembly (or means of\ncommunication), as we go about our daily routines.
\n\nMany Church-goers can quote Scripture,\nbut lack its consistent\napplication, during the\nremaining 167 hours or so, when they\nare away each week. In modern day terminology, we might say that many “Christians” are talking the\ntalk, but not walking the walk.
\n\nFor some, the Romans 12: 1 sacrifice will\ncall for a single act of martyrdom, whereas Eph. 4: 1, call for a daily-dying of one’s independent self will, in order\nto become an ambassador for the Kingdom of God, while here on Earth.
\n\nBelievers who are called to martyrdom,\nand the believers who “die daily” will receive the Crown of Life (3).
\n\nSome scholars interpret the Crown of\nMartyrs and the Crown of Life as two separate crowns. Other scholars interpret them as being one in the same.
\n\nEither\nway, we don’t serve God to be rewarded, but God\nhas chosen to reward, in Heaven, the believers who make the sacrifice of martyrdom,\nand those who make the ongoing, daily sacrifices, associated with post salvation discipleship.
\n\nWhile Romans 12: 1 martyrdom calls\nfor a one-time act of confidence to face immanent death courageously, the Eph.\n4: 1 “daily-dying” calls for long term steadfastness, dedication, persistence,\nand endurance.
\n\nThe devil wants us to fear death, and\nonly a minority of born-again believers finish the course, looking forward to his/her earthly\ndeparture (4).
\n\nIn both scenarios, it takes the\nenabling John 15: 5 power of God to overcome the obstacles necessary to\nsucceed.
\n\nThe devil, being fully aware of human\ntendencies, promotes the fear of death, and does all that he can to wear down the\nforward progress of an advancing disciple (5).
\n\nNote that in many cases, the believer’s\nattitude towards death and the unspoken testimony of how he or she handles the\nprocess of dying, can be the most\npowerful testimony to those around\nhim/her.
\n\nThe hospital, nursing home, or hospice\ncenter may very well prove to be\nan advancing disciple’s last assigned “mission field” before the Lord calls him\nor her home, as he or she testifies,\nby word and actions, to the attending\nstaff and visitors.
\n\nWe must be careful not to think more\nhighly of ourselves than we ought (6).\n
\n\nPeter thought he had his act together\nwhen he claimed his willingness to lay down his life for the cause of Christ,\nbut within hours after making that bold claim, he would deny that he even knew\nHim (7).
\n\nMany believers thought they had their\nact together, only to discover that couldn’t handle intense adversity any\nbetter than their unbelieving counterparts when the day of testing came knocking\nat THEIR door.
\n\nThis daily-dying goes far beyond the\nrepenting and the forsaking of sin and evil. That much we (should) have learned in Christian\nKindergarten 101. It is not until we are\nchallenged to give up OUR comfort zone,\nplans, and desires, in order to\nfulfill HIS plan and desires,\nthat we will experience the cost of discipleship (8).
\n\nThis daily-dying will continue as an\nadvancing disciple moves forward to the point that he or she can honestly say, “…\nbesides You, I desire nothing on earth (Psalms 73: 25 NASB).”
\n\nDesiring nothing but God (and or the\nthings of God), will change such things as the content of one’s prayer life, daily priorities, motivation, and outlook for the future, evidenced by his or her thoughts, words, and actions\n(9).
\n\n\n\nAdvancing disciples become\nChrist-centered; no longer self-centered,\nseeking His will, and not their own.
(1) \nRomans 12: 1 (2) Eph. 4: 1 (3) James\n1: 12/Rev. 2: 10 (4) Heb. 2: 15/2Tim.\n4: 7/2Cor. 5: 8 (5) Dan. 7: 25 (6) Rom. 12: 3 (7) John 13: 37, 38 (8) Luke 14: 26 – 33 (9) Luke\n22: 42/Luke 14: 26/Matt. 6: 2/Phil.1:21.
\n\n
\n\nEnd of Part One
\n\nPart One
\n\n
\n\nIn Paul’s letter to the born-again\nbelievers in 1st Century Rome, he urges them to present their physical\nbodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord\n(1).
\n\nIn his letter to the born-again believers in Ephesus, Paul implores\nthem to walk (live) in a manner worthy of their calling (2).
\n\nIn this\narticle, we will see the major part that “presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice”\nplays in living a lifestyle befitting those who bear the name Christian.
\n\nPaul refers to doing so, as engaging\nin our “spiritual service of worship.”
\n\nIn\naccordance with the Matt. 28: 19, 20 plan of God, it is when born again\nbelievers are gathered together (physically or via means of modern day means of\ncommunication) for worship services that the Word of God is to be taught and reiterated.
\n\nWorshiping\nGod by means of applying the Word of God, mostly takes place when we are away\nfrom our local assembly (or means of\ncommunication), as we go about our daily routines.
\n\nMany Church-goers can quote Scripture,\nbut lack its consistent\napplication, during the\nremaining 167 hours or so, when they\nare away each week. In modern day terminology, we might say that many “Christians” are talking the\ntalk, but not walking the walk.
\n\nFor some, the Romans 12: 1 sacrifice will\ncall for a single act of martyrdom, whereas Eph. 4: 1, call for a daily-dying of one’s independent self will, in order\nto become an ambassador for the Kingdom of God, while here on Earth.
\n\nBelievers who are called to martyrdom,\nand the believers who “die daily” will receive the Crown of Life (3).
\n\nSome scholars interpret the Crown of\nMartyrs and the Crown of Life as two separate crowns. Other scholars interpret them as being one in the same.
\n\nEither\nway, we don’t serve God to be rewarded, but God\nhas chosen to reward, in Heaven, the believers who make the sacrifice of martyrdom,\nand those who make the ongoing, daily sacrifices, associated with post salvation discipleship.
\n\nWhile Romans 12: 1 martyrdom calls\nfor a one-time act of confidence to face immanent death courageously, the Eph.\n4: 1 “daily-dying” calls for long term steadfastness, dedication, persistence,\nand endurance.
\n\nThe devil wants us to fear death, and\nonly a minority of born-again believers finish the course, looking forward to his/her earthly\ndeparture (4).
\n\nIn both scenarios, it takes the\nenabling John 15: 5 power of God to overcome the obstacles necessary to\nsucceed.
\n\nThe devil, being fully aware of human\ntendencies, promotes the fear of death, and does all that he can to wear down the\nforward progress of an advancing disciple (5).
\n\nNote that in many cases, the believer’s\nattitude towards death and the unspoken testimony of how he or she handles the\nprocess of dying, can be the most\npowerful testimony to those around\nhim/her.
\n\nThe hospital, nursing home, or hospice\ncenter may very well prove to be\nan advancing disciple’s last assigned “mission field” before the Lord calls him\nor her home, as he or she testifies,\nby word and actions, to the attending\nstaff and visitors.
\n\nWe must be careful not to think more\nhighly of ourselves than we ought (6).\n
\n\nPeter thought he had his act together\nwhen he claimed his willingness to lay down his life for the cause of Christ,\nbut within hours after making that bold claim, he would deny that he even knew\nHim (7).
\n\nMany believers thought they had their\nact together, only to discover that couldn’t handle intense adversity any\nbetter than their unbelieving counterparts when the day of testing came knocking\nat THEIR door.
\n\nThis daily-dying goes far beyond the\nrepenting and the forsaking of sin and evil. That much we (should) have learned in Christian\nKindergarten 101. It is not until we are\nchallenged to give up OUR comfort zone,\nplans, and desires, in order to\nfulfill HIS plan and desires,\nthat we will experience the cost of discipleship (8).
\n\nThis daily-dying will continue as an\nadvancing disciple moves forward to the point that he or she can honestly say, “…\nbesides You, I desire nothing on earth (Psalms 73: 25 NASB).”
\n\nDesiring nothing but God (and or the\nthings of God), will change such things as the content of one’s prayer life, daily priorities, motivation, and outlook for the future, evidenced by his or her thoughts, words, and actions\n(9).
\n\n\n\nAdvancing disciples become\nChrist-centered; no longer self-centered,\nseeking His will, and not their own.
(1) \nRomans 12: 1 (2) Eph. 4: 1 (3) James\n1: 12/Rev. 2: 10 (4) Heb. 2: 15/2Tim.\n4: 7/2Cor. 5: 8 (5) Dan. 7: 25 (6) Rom. 12: 3 (7) John 13: 37, 38 (8) Luke 14: 26 – 33 (9) Luke\n22: 42/Luke 14: 26/Matt. 6: 2/Phil.1:21.
\n\n
\n\nEnd of Part One