Offering

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1

I have always defined worship as a sacred love for our creator and God. By the same token worship defined by God can be stated as the command to love God with all your heart; soul, spirit and might. When you consider God’s command to love him, his command includes your entire being with all the qualities you possess.

Worship includes a profound respect for the father of our spirit Hebrews 12:9. For the most part Christians consider God as the first person of the divine whom we are to worship. Have we forgotten that we are children of God by a decision God made about you in agreement with your decision to believe in his name (John 1:12-13). Those who accept Jesus Christ as Lord can rely on the words saying we are called sons of the Most High (Psalms 82:6).

Do we accept God as a figure head or is he actually your father? Your father raised you; he taught you way of life he accepted as being right and shaped your character accordingly so you may mature as a person who can prosper in the world you live in. While the majority of Christians may not understand that the father of your spirit has the same responsibility and is raising you to live in his realm. God is raising you to become an outstanding citizen of heaven who can live forever without having to regret anything but the ignorance caused by the sin you committed in your past. The bible tells us;

Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Hebrews 12:9

What every Christian needs to address is that we give the same kind of respect for our earthly father as we do for our Heavenly father. Do we give God and our physical father respect when there is no fear of being punished for our behavior? The father of our flesh and the father of our spirit disciplined us to improve our character; they acted in a manner not to harm us but for our good. In the long run our father taught us how to live in harmony with other people in the realm where we will spend the rest of our lives.

Is worship considered something of worth man gives toward God? Worship recognizes something of worth and then humbly gives honor and respect to the object of worship through words and physical deeds. Jesus gave us an example of worship when he offered his body as a sacrifice holy and pleasing to God for the purpose of reconciling man to God. Christ laid his life down as an act of worship to God but at the same time Jesus recognized the worth and importance of man to God. I think we have to say actions speak louder than words as what you do displays the motives of your heart.

God also honored mankind by creating him in his image and likeness. We understand from the scriptures that an image is a three dimensional object made in the appearance of an false god designed to be worshipped. Then God says he made mankind in his likeness which meant what may be seen of God is represented by the outward appearance of mankind. Yet mankind cannot put a living entity inside any image to govern or animate its actions in the same manner as our creator has. God said;

"I said, 'You are "gods"; you are all sons of the Most High.' Psalms 82:6

By example God demonstrated his love for mankind by creating men in his image and by Christ’s death to reconcile us while we were still sinners. I have defined worship as a sacred love for our creator yet God has not bowed or shown homage to mankind. Instead God has stated;

As surely as I live,' says the Lord,' every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'" Romans 14:11

Scripture reveals a distinction (in behavior) regarding the worship God wants from the heart of mankind. God wants to see worship in a believable form that agrees with your entire being. We can honor God with our lips but it will never be credible when our desires are corrupt in seeking the things of the world. Credibility is also seen in God’s words you are neither hot nor cold. To God truth is seen when he compares what is said to your actions and knows they are in agreement.

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:15-16

It should no longer be a sacrifice to speak the name of our Lord in praise when we see and understand what God has done for us. We are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices (plural) which speak of continual effort of giving worth to God. The bible tells us to humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up (James 4:10). Yet the sacrifice God wants comes from the heart not as a sacrifice given in reluctance or while gritting your teeth.

Christ offered his body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God as a demonstration of God’s love for his creation. Therefore:

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2

You were bought with the blood of Christ. Rather than perish for your sin God provided atonement for everyone. Christ’s blood was shed to reconcile you to God in recognition of your helpless estate. Let’s take time to recognize the Messiah of our God who laid his life down for his friends and made it possible to escape the wrath of God. In exchange God is not asking that we voluntarily give our life to serve him rather he wants to live through us while asking us to give our all to follow Jesus Christ wherever he goes by believing in him. 11302016

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