God's Mercy enables us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice.
God's Mercy, Your Act of Worship
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Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
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As we have worked our way through Romans Paul has kept us pointed to the mercies of God! In fact I want to show this verse in the NIV.
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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.
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In view of God’ mercy; before we can do the work God has called us to we must have a genuine view of God. Grace was bestowed for purpose. If we miss the purpose of grace we will not fulfill the destiny God has prepared for us.
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Romans 1:5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,
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Grace is given for obedience to the faith. The divine influence of God calls us into obedience. Minus the mercies of God we can not offer our bodies to God. Before grace we are not qualified to come to God. In view of God’s mercy we can offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. Paul did not lightly call the believer to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice. The NKJ says “I beseech you”; the NIV says “I urge you”. Another translation says “I beg you” and yet another say “I implore you”!
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Until we understand the intensity Paul is preaching this truth we may have a hard time grasping this word. Many have misunderstood this word. Part “A” is salvation and part “B” is surrendering to be the living sacrifice. While this is the correct order it can not be disconnected. I got “A” that is good enough and one day I will get to “B” is a false understanding. The truth of the issue is if you have “A” salvation it will overflow into “B” the living sacrifice. If you have been created as a new creation in Christ Jesus, your view of His mercy leads you into presenting yourself as that living sacrifice.
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Paul put it so well, present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God which is your reasonable service.
1 Thessalonians 4:1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.
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It is the will of God for us to learn to possess our own vessels in sanctification and honor. God does a perfected work in our spirit but there is an on going work he does in our soul and bodies. We have been called to walk in the holiness of which we have been birthed in. Those who say they know the grace of God and go on living in a sinful lifestyle have rejected God. Paul did not mince words. If you believe you have the salvation part and one day you will get around to possessing your vessel in holiness, you have yet to be born again. True salvation brings true change of the heart and life. In view of God’s mercy we can walk in holiness and righteousness.
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Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
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How do we come to knowing how to possess our vessel in sanctification? The short answer, it is by the renewing of the mind. I write it often, it is a perfected work in our spirit, a progressive work in our soul and then one day the final redemption of our body. We need to bring our emotions, intellect, and desires (our soul) in line with what God has done in our spirit. Learning to posses our vessel in sanctification is learning to live by every Word that comes from the mouth of God.
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Transformation is the working of God as we submit to the Word of God.
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1 Peter 2:1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
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Our minds can only be renewed God’s way with the Word of God. This is not an intellectual exercise; it is allowing God to speak into our heart. It is allowing God to teach us how to live.
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James 1:21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
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Many have made spiritual warfare a mystery; however arguments that exalt their self against the knowledge of God need to be brought down in the believers life. This is the true beginning of spiritual warfare.
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2 Corinthians 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
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The renewing of our mind is a changing of our thought life. Your thoughts need to be renewed by the Word of God. Mindsets that disagree with God inhibit the believer from walking in obedience. The Word of God exalted will pull down strongholds in our life! Let me give a practical example from the Word.
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1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."
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If the believer makes his company with those practicing evil, the believer will be corrupted. Believer’s who excuse themselves from this truth will fall prey to failure. No matter what the argument is for hanging out with the evil doer the practice is exalting itself against the knowledge of God. The pretentious argument must be pulled down if the believer is going to walk in victory.
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Acts 20:32 "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
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God and the word of His grace is able to build you up and make you a partaker of the inheritance among the saints of God.
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Psalm 119:9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. 10 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! 11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!
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If our soul is to ever come in line with what God has done in our spirit we must learn to love and hunger for God’s word. The Word of God written in our heart brings victory. Specifically the word of His grace brings us to victory over sin. Our victory over sin is found exclusively in Jesus! One of the last things Jesus told the disciple to preach was, repentance and remission of sin is found in Jesus. Any message that take us away from this truth is an argument that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. Every thought needs to be brought into captivity unto the obedience of Jesus Christ.
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Ephesians 4:22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
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We must reckon ourselves dead indeed to sin and alive unto God. Putting off the old man is clearly defined in Romans 6. Before our mind can be renewed we must understand the truths of dying to sin.
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Rom 6:9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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When we came to Jesus our old man was crucified; we died to sin. From there forward we must reckon ourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God. That is the putting off of the old man.
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Ephesians 4:23 tells us to be renewed in the spirit of our mind. The grace that Jesus Christ brings is the exclusive truth to renew our mind with. Without the renewing of the mind we will not be able to put on the new man which was created in true righteousness and holiness. Jesus Christ lifted the veil that kept men separated from God.
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In Christ alone I place my trust. I will glory in the power of the cross! He who knew no sin…
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2 Corinthians 3:14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
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We are changed from glory to glory. Looking fully in the face of Jesus and all that he has accomplished at the cross is the power of transformation. When one turns fully to the Lord Jesus Christ the veil is removed.
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Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
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But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory. I have just seen Jesus and I will never be the same again! The greater glory is found in Christ alone. God’s mercy brings me opportunity to present my body as a living sacrifice; it is the act of worship that is left for me to do. Walk worthy of the calling; turn your eyes on Jesus!
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