Theme: Live in New Life- Obedience to Christ
Passage: Romans 12:1
"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"
After reading this verse, I really do think that this verse is a challenge for many christians including myself. Because we live in such a sinnful world and because we ourselves are so sinnful, it is impossible for us to not enjoy sinning because it is in our nature to sin. But, today's verse challenges us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God. Roman's 12:2, "Do not conform 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.", tells us exactly how to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. The second verse is telling us to not conform to the patterns of this world which means to live a life set apart for
God. The only way we can do that is if we give God complete control of our mind and body. The second verse tells us that only when we live a life set apart for God will He allow us to be a part of His good, pleasing, and perfect will. This verse tells us that living our daily lives in Christ is our "true" and "proper" worship.
I remember my dad telling me that living our lives as true and proper worship to God when no one is watching is more important than going to church on Sundays and having service and worshipping God when there is a whole community of christians around us (not saying that Sunday worship is not important). This is because if we cannot live our daily lives in Christ then, we really have nothing to give as offering to God when we go to church on Sunday, even if we are praising Him, because He cares more about our hearts and who we truly are on the inside then who we make ourselves to look like on the outside. If we cannot live our lives properly then our worships on Sundays are not true and proper worships to God. My dad said it is the same thing as when a married wife spends all of her time during the day and afternoon with another man that she loves and then goes home at night and spends the last few hours of the remaining night with her husband because she fears her husband or because she knows she "has" to because it is the "right" thing to do.
Application:
After doing today's QT and relooking at this verse, I feel really embarrased to confess that I really have not been living a life that God wants me to live. I have been telling other's to do QT but truthfully, I have not been doing so well keeping up with my QT's and have forgotten the importance of QT. I know for a fact that I have not been letting God take complete control of me. I know that the only way to give God complete control over me is by knowing what God wants and I feel that QT is a great way to find what God wants and has planned. There are many times when I act like I'm a "Christian" and am "Religious" when I really do not think or let God control me during my daily lives. I really wish to give God complete control of my life through the QT's and really live for Him so that He can use me for His good, pleasing, and perfect will.
