Sunday, January 6, 2013

January 7, 2013

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2
 
Fitting into God's purpose has great significance for time and eternity!
 
Step one is to consecrate your ego to God. Let Him become your source of significance. Allow His Word to define your reality and His will to decide your priorities.
 
The next step after you consecrate the ego is to conquer the evil.
 
How can you overcome the evil around you if you have not conquered the evil within you? And how can you conquer the evil within you if you yourself are evil? And how can you fit into God's purpose if you are evil? Those are pertinent questions that demand answers.
 
Romans 12:2 gives the answer - "offer your body as a living sacrifice".
 
So, how do we truly present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice? In a nutshell, we must die to our prior selves. This concept is wonderfully presented in this anonymous poem…
 
When you are forgotten, neglected, or purposely set at naught, and you don't sting or hurt with the oversight, but your heart is happy being counted worthy to suffer for Christ;
 
That is dying to self.
 
When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinion ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient, loving silence;
 
That is dying to self.
 
When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any annoyance; when you can stand face to face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility, and endure it as Jesus did;
 
That is dying to self.
 
When you are content with any food, and offering, any raiment, any climate, any society, any solitude, any interruption by the will of God;
 
That is dying to self.
 
When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation or record your own good works or itch after commendation, when you can truly love to be unknown;
 
That is dying to self.
 
When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met, and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy, nor question God, while your own needs are far greater and you are in desperate circumstances;
 
That is dying to self.
 
When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit, inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart;
 
That is dying to self.
 
When you give God your ego and you lay your evil nature on the altar before God, He will know you mean business and will do some serious business in your soul. He can cleanse the self-centeredness and the evil desires out of your heart. When you offer your will to Him and promise to do as He wills things will change for the better! God, through the blood of Jesus and by the fullness of the Spirit will cleanse you from sin!
 
Have you died to self? Are you a living sacrifice? What are you waiting for? Why not today?