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.

Bad Company

 Luke 15:2
And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
It is important to guard our influence. The religious people in Jesus day thought this was necessary in order to maintain their reputation. They valued their reputation over seeking the lost. Paul admonishes believers not to be a stumbling block to others by the things they do and say. But on the other hand, he says “​​I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” It is prudent that we be careful with the kind of people we hang around with and guard against being influenced by evil. Guilty by association is often attributed to those who hang around bad company, but Jesus sees people who are lost and need to be found. He casted away any inhibition of being identified with sinners and meets people where they are to share His love and forgiveness. Christian who are the light of the world, a world that is darkened by sin are to live in the world, but are not to be a part of it. Let the light of Christ shine to those who are lost and so they can find a way out of darkness.

This Present World

 Titus 2:12

Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.

The grace of God (Jesus)through His death and resurrection saved us from eternal death. His teachings were taught among us. His teachings are relevant for this day, for this culture in this present world. We live in a world that seeks the pleasures of self gratification. Immoral and temporal desires that are forbidden in His Word. Temptation is real and Christian are not exempt. By the grace of God, we deny those things that are ungodly and draw us away from God. We have but one life to live and give, we should not live it frivolously and flippantly, but soberly, guarding our action and behavior to always please Him. A godly life is possible in this present world, Jesus made this possible if we cast our cares on Him, trust Him to give us the strength in the time of need.

The True Light

 John 1:9,10

That was the true Light, which lights every man that comes into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

 

All light is not true light. Satan can come as an angel of light. His purpose is to deceive people into believing a lie. We are faced daily with old and new information about the world and about what is true and what is false. God’s word is a daily challenge of its authenticity and its reliability. John declares that Jesus is the true light, and that he is the light for every human that is born into this world. Satan has blinded people with his light of deception, and the world is blinded to the light that Jesus brings to humanity. People are quick to try and disprove the Bible, but they will never disprove the true light of God. God is faithful to shine His light of truth on all men and women. The choice is always left to people to decide what they want to believe.

 Proverbs 3:15
She (the wisdom of God) is more precious than rubies (the riches of this world), and all the things you may desire (want in life) cannot compare with her. (God’s wisdom)

The wisdom of God is more precious than the riches of this world, and all the things you want in life cannot compare with God’s wisdom. We all seek a comfortable life, the material things of this world provide us a measure of satisfaction and joy. Most people in America desire to have a nice home, car, clothes, and things that entertain us. As precious as having family, it also falls short.  But life has shown and proven that the things of this world do not bring true joy and happiness. “Happy is the person who finds the wisdom of God.” He/She who finds God has found life everlasting. Jesus who came to this world to bridge the gap and provide a way for us to have a relationship with God is the wisdom that God provides to all who will embrace Him. “ Take this whole world, but give me Jesus.” He is the tree of life, take hold of Him, don’t let go. Happiness is found in knowing Him in His fullness.

Go Into The World

 Matthew 28:20
 …lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

The promise of Jesus to go with us as we share the gospel with the world. Proclaiming Jesus' power to forgive sins and the power to live a righteous life. It is the great commission to spread the teachings of Christ. Foremost, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself. The Golden rule which guides each person to do what is right. Do the things I do demonstrate that I love Him with all my heart? Do I treat others with the same love and respect that I want to be treated? Preferring one another, forgiving, and showing kindness are trademarks of a holy character. He promised to be with us and give us what we need to do, what is needed, even when we don’t always feel like it.

Take Up Your Cross

Matt. 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

To take up the cross is to deny the things of this world and live with eternity in mind. We live in earthen vessels and our humanity in closely tied to what we see, hear, smell, and touch. But every man is created with a soul. The soul is the spirit of man. The self that will live on after this earthen vessel is gone. Living for this world is to be blinded by Satan to what is really important and essential to life. Enjoying life in this world is not forbidden. But if it hinders us from taking up our cross to follow him, then we will lose our eternal soul for what this temporal world has to offer. The implications of taking up the cross goes beyond the unfortunate things that happen in our live that we bare. It is willingness to submit our lives into the hands of God and let Him take control. “Not my will Lord, but Thy will be done”

Looking After Others

Philippians 2:4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

There’s a saying, “look after yourself because no one else will” This is the philosophy of the  world. Those that live in Christ, live not for the things of this world, nor are they worldly minded. The wisdom from above is to live each day as a servant, doing to others as you would have them do to you. The philosophy of Christ is to be kind and affection one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another. (Roman 12:10) This is more than just one act of kindness, but a lifestyle that reflects what it means to live in Christ. It is not about being 1st or the best, but about putting others 1st and being your best to give your best to others.

Pilgrim on Earth

Heb 11:13 ….and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

This world is not my home, I’m only pass through, an old gospel song based on this scripture verse. We live not for this world, but for the world to come. How easy it is to get trapped by the things of this world. The things we buy that make this life more comfortable and pleasurable. We all like our creature comforts and find a measure of contentment in the things this world has to offer. But the things of this world will burn with the elements of earth. When life comes to an end at the time appointed, we will leave the things of this world behind us. All that will be left is our faith, and that which when did in the Name of Jesus. Things of eternal value, that will last for eternity. We are but pilgrims, just traveling through this world. Our journey, our destination is for another world. A city prepared for us by God. Let us hold loosely to the material things of this world. Let us set our eyes on the city above.

Love Life

John 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

Most people love life. We don’t relish the day that our bodies fail us and death’s door knocks. Death is our enemy and we go to any means to preserve life on earth. So, the words of Christ appear to go contrary to human nature. Surely Christ did not imply that we should hate living and pray for death to take us. Christ was not speaking of our physical body, but our eternal soul. The spiritual life that God instills in each one of us. What really matters in this life? If we live for this world and the material gain, we will lose what really matters. Seek first the Kingdom on God, and God will take care of all our material needs in this life. We must be willing to die to the temporal life of the pleasure of sin and the want of material gain. Dying to self goes contrary to how the world lives. Everyone is out to make sure number 1 is taking care of first. If we are to know real life, we must die to our selfish desires to please ourselves, and allow Christ to give us new life, eternal life, life that sets it’s affections on things above and not on things of this world. Let us love life. Life in Christ. “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain”

The Joy of the Lord

John 16:22  And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

“The world did not give it to me, and the world cannot take it away” The joy of the Lord is not the making of anything this world has to offer. There will be days of sorrow and sadness as we live in this world, but we do not live for this world, we live for another world. Joy comes knowing the every sin is under blood of Jesus, joy comes knowing the Holy Spirit lives within our heart leading and guiding our lives. Joy is knowing that are names are written the lambs book of life. It time for us to just more than survive, it time for us to thrive in the joy of the Lord. We overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. We testify that our happiness and contentment comes by doing the will of God and living in the presence of God. It is joy unspeakable, and full of God’s glory. 

This World

John 17:14,15 “ I have given them Thy Word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”

This world is no friend of grace. The world stands in opposition to all that is godly, holy, right, and despises those who declare an absolute truth. The world is driven to please the pleasure of the flesh, it has no regard to the commandments of God. Christian’s world view comes from the teaching of Christ and the Holy Spirit that leads the believer into all truth. The Bible is the final word of what is morally right and wrong, and the world does not like what it has to say. It goes against their own fleshly desires to satisfy self. Therefore, the world rejects God’s Word as absolute truth. We are not to behave as the world does, even though we live in this world we are to remain from the world’s inclination to satisfy the base desires of the sinful flesh. It was the prayer of Jesus that we be kept from the love of the flesh. This world will pass away, but the Word of God will remain and every knee will bow and confess that He is Lord of all.  

Dead to the World

Col. 3:2,3  “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”-

Dead to the world means that the world no longer holds any attraction. We hold on loosely to the material things of life and the temporal. Prestige and earthly power is but a vapor when compared to life in eternity.  Being “dead” in Christ implies that we have been to the cross. Once again, we have made the choice to pick up it up and follow Him, even the death of the cross. Our sins have been nailed, the old man has been crucified, and we are now made alive, a new creature. Being alive in Christ means that our desires and affections are focused on Christ and the teaching of His word. We find pleasure in serving Him and doing His will. Tho the earthly pleasure of this life have some appeal, they are nothing compared to what God has to offer. For in Him is life and the reason we live.