Romans 12:1 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.
What does God desire from us?
First of all, God wants us to offer, dedicate and surrender our bodies as a living sacrifice, which is holy and pleasing to God. When Jesus came into this world, He came to give His body as a sacrifice, thus teaching us that what God primarily desires from us is our body.
Hebrews 10:7 ‘‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God’’, Jesus demonstrated that this is what we ought to use our bodies for, to do the will of our father. This then becomes our only intention in life every day (doing the work of our father).
When it comes to carrying out the will of the father, 1 Thessalonians 4:3 says It is God’s will that you should be sanctified. Sanctification is a state of being set apart for God; all believers enter this state when they are born of God: 1 Corinthians 1:30 “You are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Sanctification is the first part of God’s will for every one of us. Especially in doing God’s work, we are not to rush here without sanctifying ourselves.
The next part is unconditional yieldedness .1 Corinthians 15:57-58 NIV Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. James calls us to follow Jesus’ example when he reminds us that the fruit of wisdom is becoming a person who is “willing to yield” (James 3:17). Unless you yield to God, God cannot use you, our sinful desires also stand as a huge barrier in allowing God’s desire to be carried out in our lives but the bible mentions in (Phil. 2:13) He will work in you and give you both the desire and the power to yield to Him in obedience. We must pray and keep in fellowship because we cannot do it alone. We need help from above, the best of man comes out only when we are united with God and committed to Him (Acts 4:13).
Dedication and surrender imply that you use your time, talent, and treasure to do the work of God with an unconditional commitment.
TIME-Puritan Thomas Watson said, “Time is a talent to trade with.” Are we using our time to profit the church? “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15). Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal. 6:1–2). Are we so consumed with our own work that we neglect the church’s needs?
TALENT- God has given the body of Christ various gifts of the spirit -to build up the body. Not every Christian possesses every spiritual gift, but all Christians possess some gifts, and the Spirit has given us those gifts to build up the church. Romans 12:7-12 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Whatever gifts we have let us use them to build His kingdom.
TREASURE- Sowing into His kingdom is vital. We should honor God with our earthly treasures. Giving brings me closer to God; Giving is a way we show God that we love Him. When we love Him, we give cheerfully for His work to be done. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully , will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver Galatians 6:6 “Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches”. When we sit under the ministry of the Word, we are also responsible to support that minister of the Word.
Let us pray that we will dedicate and surrender ourselves for God to use us mightily!
Take time to listen to this beautiful golden hymn- Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
PRAYER POINTS
- Dedication and surrender to His work start from within. Let us make Him the center of our lives and pray that we worship and serve Him without condition(Psalm 51:10, ESV: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me). Let us prepare ourselves for His work.
- The Bible calls us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. ‘’The body is given to us to make visible the beauty of Christ’. Pray that we will commit today to offer our lives, holy and pure for God to use us.
- Knowing God’s will is very important. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” As Children of God let us refuse to be conformed to the world and understand His will for our life.
- Sanctification is God’s beautiful, transforming work in the life of His people. It’s the transforming presence and power of the Holy Spirit offered as a gift to anyone who desires it (Luke 11:13). Let us pray that we will allow His transforming power to work in us.
- Yielding to His will- Pray that we will give up our self-will and let us do whatever God wants us to do and go wherever He wants us to go …It was Abraham’s willingness to go anywhere and do anything at any time for God that made him the ‘’Friend of God’’. It is no more my will but your will God.
- Pray and make a decisive dedication that we will use our time, talent, and treasure to do the will of our father here on earth.
- Service to God requires diligent use of the public means as well as familial, and private disciplines of prayer, meditative reading of Scripture, witness, fellowship, service to those in need, and the discerning care of faithful elders.
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