Living Sacrifices: Part 2

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.

1. Offer your bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God
   • Christ offered himself to save our soul from death and destruction and an eternity of separation from God in hell. He asks that we emulate him by doing the ‘same’ thing. Simply put, we are not of this world and we should not indulge in the same fleshy desires that those who serve only themselves chase after. 
   • If we have bowed our soul to him our bodies/actions should follow suit.

             i.     How?

 We have all heard the phrase die to ourselves daily and pick up his cross. Whaaaa…? Really the Bible says it best, ‘We are in this world and not of this world’, ‘Man judges the outward appearance…’ Basically if you look and talk and walk like a duck what is the world going to think? As Christians it is so very very important that we separate ourselves from that image. Unfair? Not ‘with the times’? Yes, and yes, however, we serve a never changing God, he is the same today and tomorrow as he was yesterday and the thousands of years that came before yesterday and the thousands years that come after tomorrow. He doesn’t want us to ‘move with the times’ He wants us to move in Him and He in us, He will guide us. He will set our path and feet right. He calls us to shine in the darkness. So when we go out and causally cuss, and party with our friends and coworkers not only are they watching and recording, but God sees you too. Those same people who you party with will think, 'He/She says they are a Chrisitan, but they sleep around and drink and swear etc etc. If that's what a Christian is than what is so different?' I've heard these comments made, recently as in the past year, about people who say one thing and do the opposite. Remember we are to be different and yes we are held to a higher standard. If God is the same and you believe that than what he asks of us is also the same. The world will always judge us. If anything we should thank them, because without that judgment we may not see ourselves or our sin (that must find us out) and we could continue down a destructive path. So thank you world, thank you for noticing that we should be different! Now Christians let’s be that different. 

Remember, don't be silent!

Leigha