The Apostle Paul tells us that our reasonable service for the great gift God has given us through His Son is to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God. (Rom 12:1).

The idea of body here is body, mind and soul. We are to endeavor to live holy lives in full and complete submission to God and that is our reasonable service.

And before you get stuck on service and forget submission as many of us are likely to do, please know we are to serve but to serve without concern for our own personal holiness is a works-based, false religion.

Honestly, we might feel good about ourselves when we tirelessly serve to help the poor but that requires less effort, for most of us, than submitting to the Lord and controlling our tongues. 😳

It’s easy to get distracted in serving a ministry, or our families, and find ourselves giving very little thought to our own personal holiness.

But God clearly tells us not to be conformed by this world (and all that will distract and deceive us) but to renew our minds so we can prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. (Rom 12:2).

And knowing us better than we know ourselves, God has Paul write the next sentence….just in case we are thinking we are doing great at being a holy, living sacrifice—

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” (Rom 12:3)

Am I thinking more highly than I ought? Is my heart, that can be deceitful above all things, deceived about this?

Oh Lord, search me. Know my wicked ways. Show me any sin in my life for my good and Your glory.

Does that feel odd to read those words? To ask God to show us our sin? Oh friend, it shouldn’t! This is the way to true freedom! Let’s get in the habit of asking our Good Father to show us what is not good for us and to help us walk away from it!

Let’s do this, for our good and His glory!

(I have been in Romans 12 for a few weeks and thought I’d share from there. I hope you’ll join me and share in the comments what the Lord shows you from this full-of-treasure chapter).

Romans12

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