“I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God which is your reasonable service.” I Corinthians 12:1 (NKJ)
“I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies—presenting all your members and faculties—as a living sacrifice, holy, (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual service.” I Corinthians 12:1 (Amplified)
Place Your Life Before God “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. I Corinthians 12 (The Message)
There is a reason I included three different versions of the same passage. There are phrases in each that speak to us a little differently. Even if you have been saved a long time, I feel God is speaking to His women, that it is time to take another step of surrender in a decisive dedication of our bodies as a living sacrifice for our Lord.
The New King James version states that this is our “reasonable service” as though it is the most rational, intelligent action that we as Christians can do. This step of surrendering our lives—while we are still alive and able to “choose” not to—is a step toward maturity.
Growing in Christ means that we must grow in our emotional lives also. In my personal life, God has provided me with many opportunities to “lay down my life on His altar”. Testings of trust, faith, submission, and obedience have been part of His lesson plan for my Christian walk for the past 30 years. Is it easier now? In some ways yes, in some ways no. The fruit of surrendering has always proved to be worth the effort—even though some of the tests have not been outwardly fulfilling. There is always the example of Christ who freely laid down his life, His will for the Father’s will which ultimately was for our sakes. We don’t ever read where Jesus mentions His likes or dislikes—it was always “whatever the Father wills”. I believe when we can get to the place where it truly is, in everything, “not my will but Thy will be done” we will be at the place where God can the most effectively use us.
Is this a realistic goal? I believe that every time He puts a step before us—it is attainable, if only we will take the time to look for the path of His choosing.
The Amplified Bible urges us to present all our “members and faculties”—and as I read the portion I had a mental picture of our arms and legs flaying around—hitting others and causing havoc instead of our laying still and quiet—listening for the Master’s Voice for new assignments for building His kingdom.
Dear Sisters, I know that this is a process. So does He. He will set a path before our feet, saying this is the way, walk ye in it! Then comes our choice—will we or won’t we. Will we Trust Him enough to submit to His will? As we learn more and more about His character it will seem more and more rational and intelligent to our spiritual mind. Remember the ways of our God are not carnal, and we cannot figure them out through our carnal mind—we must be renewed in the Spirit of our mind and only then will we have the mind of Christ. Laying aside the thoughts of division, strife, ‘I’m too tired”, “I don’t want to”, “she doesn’t have to”—etc. means that we will grow up unto the perfect man in Christ Jesus—a vessel fit for His use—which will fulfill His plan and calling in our life!
- Martha Rodman