Romans 12: Living Life Study 03: Worship and service

Romans 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

Here in this first verse of chapter 12, of that magnificent letter of Romans in the New Testament section of the Bible. As they are now Christians, their old life and old bodies have gone! That is what the letter writer Paul has been leading up to and saying. Paul, that great Apostle of the early church, now starts to elucidate about living life for God and for God alone. As Christians they have a new life and new bodies! Paul exhorts these followers of Jesus to worship Him with their whole bodies – not just their minds or their hearts! This is the new transformed person as living sacrifices in response to God’s mercy, justice, grace and love! Jesus sacrificially died for the person, so the person must also sacrifice their old ways of life – thoughts, desires, attitudes and actions – and proceed to live a whole life which is pleasing to God – pleasing in their thoughts, desires, attitudes and actions…

Why? Because that is part of whole life worship of Jesus, the Son of God. Because the whole body of the individual Christian is, in the point of view of God, been declared holy through the death of the Son Jesus Christ on the cross.

As Christians, we are to worship with our whole bodies and minds. As Christians we have been marked and sealed with the Holy Spirit who lives within the Christian –helping, counselling, consoling, comforting and empowering. It is not just worship, but also to be our service of God. Jesus, the Son of God, was the servant of humanity. It is our responsive worship to therefore be of service to God in all things that we do, as we go about our daily lives – work, rest and play.

If you are struggling in some area of life, encumbered with a perpetual sin, then confess to God that sin, ask Him to cleanse you afresh and to fill you with His Spirit. Keep on being filling with His Spirit. Not just on Sundays but every day of the week and in all areas of your life! By being filled with the Spirit, I mean be controlled by the Spirit and let Him guide your thoughts and actions. If the church and Christians were to do that, this world would be changed!! How can we do that? Well, that commences in v2 and tomorrow!

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