Reasonable, Spiritual Service
of Worship
God is looking for holy vessels
that are dedicated for His use alone.
We have been bought with a
price – the infinite precious blood of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, we now belong to God.
We no longer belong even to ourselves. We
have been “separated” for God’s use alone. Something
that is “holy” is reserved and can be used only for
that dedicated purpose.
The Temple of Jerusalem was
“holy” in that it was to be used for only one
purpose and that was in the worship of the LORD God
of Israel. The priest was “holy”
because he belonged to God. The
animal sacrifices were “holy” because they no longer
belonged to the one offering, but to God alone.
The Christian is to be a
“living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God which
is your reasonable, spiritual service of worship”
(Romans 12:1).
We are to offer “living” as
opposed to slain sacrifices. The
Christian does not offer his body to be slain.
We died with Christ and have been raised with
Him and are seated with Christ in the heavenly
places. Therefore, we are now to
be living offerings in constant dedication to God.
We have received a new life in
Christ (Romans 5:12-21; 6:1-12).
This new life is a continuously living active
service to God. God can use in
His service of worship the newness of life that is
given to us by union with our risen Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. In fact, that is
the only kind of service that pleases Him.
When the worshiper took his
sacrificial animal to the Temple to offer it to the
LORD God he presented it in its entirety. He
surrendered all claim to the animal. It was no
longer his to claim or use in any manner.
The apostle Paul has this idea
clearly in mind. The believer in Christ is to devote
himself to God, as if he no longer had any claim on
himself. The LORD is now the owner of the living
sacrifice. He is at God's disposal to do His
bidding. The Christian lives for only one purpose
and that is to honor, glorify and serve God as a
living sacrifice.
That is a “holy” sacrifice and
that is the sacrifice He will use for His glory
alone. It is “pleasing,
acceptable to God.” It is a
sacrifice in which God delights.
This is the spiritual worship
we owe to God because of His great saving grace.
Is this to be a “reasonable
service,” or is it a “spiritual act of worship?”
In the original language it can be translated
embracing both ideas at the same time and that is
how I prefer to take it.
The service of obedient lives
is the only reasonable or logical response to the
atoning sacrifice of Christ Jesus. The word is
logikos meaning “reasonable" or "according to
reason.” In the next verse the
apostle Paul writes about our being transformed by
“the renewing of our minds.”
The “living sacrifice” makes
sense. It is reasonable and logical because of the
great sacrifice Christ made for us on the cross.
Old Testament sacrifices were
dead; Christian's are alive. Both were to be "holy
and pleasing to God."
Because we have received the
great mercies of God in grace, we are to present our
"bodies as a sacrifice--alive, holy, and pleasing to
God--which is your reasonable service" (NET).
What is the "sacrifice" we are
offering to the Lord? It is a spiritual reasonable
worshipful service consecrated to God that is
accepted by God because it includes the whole
person: mind, reason, intellect. It is a personal,
rational, conscious, intellectual devotion to the
service of our Lord. It is not mechanical like an
animal that cannot make a decision about its
destiny.
Our acceptable service is
“worship offered by the mind and the heart.” God
loves you, and purchased you at a great cost;
therefore, He wants your reasonable service in a
spiritual act of worship. William
Borden gave his life to missionary service, and as
he lay dying left a note that said, “No reserve, no
retreat, and no regrets.” His
words remind me of another who gave his life in
Ecuador as a young missionary.
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain
what he cannot lose,” Jim Elliot.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB." "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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