Your Reasonable Service

  

Most commentators believe that with Romans, although the letter is addressed to the church in Rome, it is a general epistle. In other words, the letter was intended all along to be a letter to all the churches. To make a distinction, consider the book of first Corinthians, this book was definitely addressed to the church in Corinth. It addressed specific needs and problems in Corinth. The same could be said for Galatians and other of Paul’s letter. In the book of Romans which is specific to the needs in Rome, therefore in deciding the purpose of the book, one should recognize that the letter is essentially intended for the church in general.

Romans 12: 1(NIV) ‘’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’s admonition to the believers in Rome was to sacrifice themselves to God, not as a sacrifice on the altar, as the Mosaic Law required the sacrifice of animals, but as a living sacrifice. The dictionary defines sacrifice as “anything consecrated and offered to God.” As believers, how do we consecrate and offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice?

Under the Old Covenant, God accepted the sacrifices of animals. But these were just a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Because of His ultimate, once-for-all-time sacrifice on the cross, the Old Testament sacrifices became obsolete and are no longer of any effect (Hebrews 9:11-12). For those who are in Christ by virtue of saving faith, the only acceptable worship is to offer ourselves completely to the Lord. Under God’s control, the believer’s yet-unredeemed body can and must be yielded to Him as an instrument of righteousness (Romans 6:12-13; 8:11-13). In view of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus for us, this is only“reasonable.” 

What does a living sacrifice look like in the practical sense? The following verse (Romans 12:2) helps us to understand. We are a living sacrifice for God by not being conformed to this world. The world is defined for us in 1 John 2:15-16 as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. All that the world has to offer can be reduced to these three things. The lust of the flesh includes everything that appeals to our appetites and involves excessive desires for food, drink, sex, and anything else that satisfies physical needs. Lust of the eyes mostly involves materialism, coveting whatever we see that we don’t have and envying those who have what we want. The pride of life is defined by any ambition for that which puffs us up and puts us on the throne of our own lives. 

How can believers NOT be conformed to the world? By being “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” We do this primarily through the power of God’s Word to transform us. We need to hear (Romans 10:17), read (Revelation 1:3), study (Acts 17:11), memorize (Psalm 119:9-11), and meditate on (Psalm 1:2-3) Scripture. The Word of God, ministered in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, is the only power on earth that can transform us from worldliness to true spirituality. In fact, it is all we need to be made “complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16). The result is that we will be “able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2). It is the will of God for every believer to be a living sacrifice for Jesus Christ. Now let’s see this,

Yes! It is true that, it is not easy to stay away from sex especially young people growing up. In this our society now, when someone is a virgin, she is seen as a local girl and society can put pressure on us to do so. I want to say that, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a virgin, it is really good to live a chaste life. Nowadays when a young man or woman is in a relationship, sometimes there is pressure and the temptation to have sex with the other partner. Let us bear in mind that whatever we do, we do it unto the Lord. I want to stress on it that, it is not good to have sex while dating.

There is a bit of nudity around us now, on TV’s, radio, phones, internet, parties, weddings, engagements, even the way we think and Satan our adversary uses such weapons always against us. We are in the end times and we must be very care as believers not to entertain such because it destroys us. According to Romans 8: 5-10, those who live according to the flesh are carnal people because they always set their minds on the things of the flesh. There are people who are in the church but are yet carnal. When you look on the cell phones of some ‘’Christians’’ (church goers), you can see some horrible things like Porn and they like watching. This is not a good mindset, you will die spiritually if you continue to live in the flesh. I happen to work with an Elder of a renowned church, and on his computer there was porn on it, I asked myself if he was really an Elder. When some guys to church, they always look at a woman’s butt and some ladies too will not wear decent dresses to Church which makes us loose concentration in Church. It is my prayer that the Good Lord will have mercy on this generation.

There are many other sins that corrupts our lifestyle, our mind and the head is also part of the body hence we will not look at only sexual immorality but other sinful behavior’s that the Holy spirit hates and will not stay in us if we continue in sin.

Ephesians 5vs1-8 (text here) the verse 2 talks about a fragrant offering i.e. to the service of God. He devoted his time, sleep, strength, everything to the service of God.

To the reader, what are your offerings to God and to the service of the Church? The verse 4 states some of them which are foolish talk, filthiness, crude joking, it says let it not be named among you, these things are evil.

The book of Galatians tell us better, read Galatians 5 vs 17 – 21

All these are evil, you will not be able to do what you want to do for the lord. It is therefore my prayer that you will receive strength to overcome any weakness in Jesus name. Amen! Now I declare, in the name of Jesus come out of that prison, let chains break into pieces, receive your healing now in Jesus name. Amen!  

Which is your reasonable service: other translation says ‘’which is your spiritual worship’’. Remember John 4 vs 24 this means that you can only honour God in the spirit and not in the flesh. Honouring God in the flesh is a spiritual sacrifice and as Jesus did, so should we because now, we have become one in spirit. He calls us brothers, we are joints heirs. You are able to worship God in faith in your bodies and He delights in it for that is where He stays ‘’in your body’’.

1 Corinthians 3 vs 17 

Therefore it is very important that as believers, we make sure we don’t destroy the place in which God dwells and that is our body, His temple. God bless you!

Read the following scriptures to build your faith in God and to pray giving you an upper hand and victory over the enemy.

Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”

Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

1 John 4:1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

2 Corinthians 2:11 “in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:21 

For no word from God will ever fail.

Luke 1:37 

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:57

For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

1 John 5:4 

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Romans 8:37 

But you, Lord, are a shield around me,

my glory, the One who lifts my head high.

Psalm 3:3 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Hebrews 12:1 

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

1 Timothy 6:12 

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:5 

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8 

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

1 John 4:4

Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

1 John 5:5