Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1)
This week we turn our attention to the Disciplines of Worship and Fellowship. As we reflect on our theme for this year, Our Identity, there are some important lessons we have already discussed in the first 16 days of our 40 days journey. These lessons include the following:
- The Bible is our identity manual (Bible Study).
- Spiritual Warfare often involves an attack of our identity. The armor of God provides offense and defense.
- Effective Prayer requires authenticity – God knows everything about us anyway.
- Fasting isn’t about getting what we want by giving up things, it is about submitting all that we are to God (obedience).
I must again thank our commentators who all contributed to these lessons.
Now we turn to Worship, and the passage above is a great place to start. Romans 12:1 presents a very demanding definition of true and proper worship, involving a lot more than what is commonly defined as worship.
Please prayerfully reflect on the Bible verse.
Something to think about:
What are some of the practical ways you live out the definition of worship presented in Romans 12:1?
March 5, 2018 at 6:28 am
Some practical ways that I try to do this:
1) Not allowing my eyes to go where it should not.
2) Not eating foods that I should not.
3) Not saying with my mouth what I should not.
4) Not going where I should not go.
I am not always successful but I’m continuously striving.
March 5, 2018 at 8:41 am
God gave His body to be tortured, mutilated and rendered life less for my salvation. He is only asking me to sacrifice the current way I exercise and keep fit to serve Him aboard a ship for 3 months. The mere fact that my first thought was “But where am I going to go running”, when the news of the Logos Hope came through, is a stark reminder of how far I have to go in the crucifixion of my flesh to serve and honour my Lord. Thank God He is merciful and long suffering!!!!
March 5, 2018 at 9:32 am
When I had my first baby, I felt the full surge of strong love and protection that was needed. It was also the first time I understood what a Tiger would be like protecting her cubs. That is the easiest way to explain how I interpret my Lord’s Love for us. He gave his life and shed his blood for us, it’s how I felt and then different circumstances showed flashes of understanding at the most odd times. God works wonders around us and I know when he wants me to shut up and be quiet in Him, to send me to places I never thought of, Go left when my intention was To go Right, to sacrifice treats and comforts when he asks us to stretch out to others in his name. It’s not always clear at the start but don’t we all ended up praising Him at the end of whatever he sets out for us in our Daily Worship? Doing all in His name is probably the shortedst way of expressing myself on the question. x
March 5, 2018 at 11:11 am
Honestly, I’m still learning how to be a living sacrifice. What are the thoughts, behaviors, and actions that truly encompass what that means? So in answer to today’s question: I don’t know. But I hope that being in continual prayer that I open myself to all that God wants of (and for) me is the right place to start.
March 5, 2018 at 12:15 pm
I think it means not to abuse your body by over indulging in a lot of things like eating etc.To sacrifice means to do whatever it takes to serve Him.
March 5, 2018 at 1:05 pm
To me it means dying to self, and striving continuously to instead have the mind of Christ and thus His priorities. Worship to me is to be wholly in awe of Him, and Paul calls us to that mindset “in view of God’s mercy”. He has truly purchased my affections and attention by going to the lengths He has gone to in order to pursue me and rescue me, and unfortunately my flesh means that I still need to rely on the fact that His mercies are new every morning (Lam.3:22-23).
So, my answer may not sound particularly practical (as requested) but to me it boils down to trying to align my life with His, which depends on time with Him to gain His heart and mind, as I remember all that He has done for me and continues to do every – single – day.
March 5, 2018 at 10:12 pm
Practically speaking, a living sacrifice can mean making sacrifices while i am alive. However, a living sacrifice, could also be interpreted as any action on my path that could lead someone to a life in Jesus Christ.
March 5, 2018 at 10:55 pm
That verse, being one of my favorites, motivates me to deny myself of worldly pleasures, fleshly desires and ungodly, impure motives and thoughts. In addition, I always find it instructive that my body should be presented as a “living sacrifice” (certainly not a dead one!) as a reasonable act of worship/service. This may sound ‘crazy’ but I always smile & say, ” I’ve never seen a dead, joyful person” so literally we should be happy serving Christ even if circumstances are not always ideal. Living yet dead to sin as I crucify self to honor Christ in worship.