A Living Sacrifice

 Roman 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

A living sacrifice is what God desires of us. Like Isaac who laid on the altar for Abraham ready to be offered up to God, God wants us willingly to give our entire life to Him. As Christian, we have already been forgiven of our sins and have been washed in the blood of Christ. We have already received the newness of life and are new creatures in Christ. The step of giving your body (Your life) a living sacrifice is a full surrender of all your hopes and desires. Our ambitions, goals, and aspirations are laid at the altar. Death to self, the removal of ourselves from the throne of our heart and putting God there. It is no longer our will, but God’s will be done. This is life experience and crossroads that all Christian come to. We don’t slowly present our bodies, but it is an act of the will that we present our life to God to use for His glory. This sacrifice means that we no longer live like the world. Our worldview is now based on God’s word. Our thoughts, way of Life, and behaviors are now conformed to how God wants us to live.

Walk in the Spirit

 Gal 5:24,25
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts…If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

It is the lust of the flesh, the carnal sinful nature of man that wars against us walking in the Spirit. Having accepted the gift of God, salvation through Christ, our lives have been transformed. Our sins have been washed away in the blood of Jesus. Those things that we have done in the past have all been put to death. We no longer live to gratify the lust of sinful flesh. The experience of holiness, or sanctification provides us with the filling of the Holy Spirit in our lives. As we walk in the light of God, we come to a place in our lives that we have not only put to death the lust of our flesh, but we surrender the totality of our being. Everything we have, everything we are given to God. We learn to live and walk in the Spirit, giving us the power to triumph over sin and the temptations that Satan brings before us. What does it mean to walk in the Spirit? Walking in the Spirit is to yield ourselves to what God wants and desires of us, to live blameless and without filling the lust of the flesh. If we fail to walk in the Spirit, He is faithful to call us back to Him. Paul was clear that if we continue to live a life fulfilling the lust of the flesh, that we cannot inherit the kingdom (heaven). Living, and walking in the Spirit will keep us faithful to the way God wants us to live.

Jacob's Well

 John 4:14
Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
The well waters at Jacob’s well represents the things and pleasures of this world. The temporal and physical satisfactions. They no doubt bring a measure of satisfaction to the appetites of the flesh and some solace to our social and emotional human desires for relationships and belonging. Drinking from Jacob’s well may be satisfying for a season.  For the pleasures of sin may last for a season, but it will not bring everlasting satisfaction. Not all waters from the well are sinful, but drinking from Jacob’s well will not bring the joy and longing of the soul that will last beyond death and the grave. Jesus offers us the Living Water, The true water of life. He wants to give this water to anyone who will ask. “Come drink from me, and you will never thirst again, it is the water of life that will give you everlasting life”

Power of the Holy Spirit

 Roman 15:13
The God of hope fills you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Living the Christian life can only be done through the power of the Holy Spirit. In our humanity, we can set our will and determination to do right and live justly, but living with hope and being filled with peace during times of hardship, uncertainty, and tribulation is made possible only through the power of the Spirit. Calling upon His power is made accessible to us as we keep our relationship with Him open. We walk in His word, we talk daily with Him as we go about our daily routines. The power of the Holy Spirit is made available to believers to live victorious and overcome unrest and discouragement. Call upon the Holy Spirit. Let Him fill you with love, peace and joy.

The Best Teacher

Titus 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children.

Teaching is more than disseminating information to others. Good teaching is better demonstrated than told. Telling someone that living for God requires being faithful is good, but showing them what faithfulness looks like by the life you live is the best teacher. Moms and dads will send their kids to church to learn about God, but are not willing to go themselves showing their kids that church is not really that important.  It is good and necessary to read and learn the Bible stories and doctrine of God’s word, but learning is best when it is practice. We may be the only Bible that people ever read, let us lead by example and not word only.

Our Manner of Living

Philip 1:27 “Only let your manner of living be as becometh the Gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you or else am absent…”-

How we live out weighs what we say. The words we speak can be powerful, but it is the actions behind our words that speak to the integrity of who we are. If we say we are Christian, and a follower of Jesus Christ, then our manner of living should reflect the Spirit of Christ. It matters not if we are in company or alone, our behavior is consistent to the life we profess. The popular saying, “What would Jesus Do?” is very relevant to how a Christian should live. We are saved by grace, but it is grace that allows us to live in a manner that reflects the teaching of Christ. God who is able to save us by His grace, is also able by His grace to help us live in a manner that shows forth His love and mercy. 

Living Water

John 4: 13b,14 “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again, but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”-

You only have to look at the world culture to see that people crave pleasure. They thirst for something that will bring satisfaction. Some of the things people crave for are not sinful, but they consume their desires to be happy and satisfied. They seek pleasures that fulfill the lust of the flesh rather than seeking 1st the Kingdom of God. Those who drink “this water” will never be satisfied. There are also those who throw themselves into a good cause, in hopes that doing something good would easy the conscience of the guilt of sin in their life. The world is thirsting for love, peace, and happiness, and unfortunately many will seek it in ways that are unholy. True satisfaction only comes from Jesus. He is the water of life that is able to fulfill the deep desires of the heart with true love and happiness. The fountain of life springs forth even when life’s circumstances are hard and sorrow comes. The water that satisfies will bring joy because we know that He is near and will walk with us even though the shadows of darkness may surround. The Living Water satisfies the longing of the heart. It is His desires that we drink from this Fountain.