Wednesday, May 4,
2016, 5:38 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “Lord, Move Me.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Romans 12:1-2 (ESV).
I
appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your
bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your
spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God,
what is good and acceptable and perfect.
The Mercies of God
What are the “mercies of God”? Well, first of all, when we
are born into this world, we are born with sin natures, separate from God,
without hope, and destined to spend eternity without God in eternal punishment.
We all come up short of attaining God’s divine approval. Not one of us is
righteous in his own merit. We can never be good enough to earn or to deserve
our own salvation. Our own righteousness is like filthy rags in God’s sight.
So, God the Father sent his Son Jesus Christ to the earth to
be born as a baby - to take on the appearance of a man (made in human
likeness). Jesus is not only the Son of God, he is God the Son, the second
person of our triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When he walked this
earth, he was fully God yet fully man. He suffered as we suffer, and he was
tempted in like manner as we are also tempted, yet without sin. God sent his
Son to the earth to die on a cross, taking upon himself the sins of the entire
world. He who knew no sin became sin for us so that when he was crucified on
the cross, our sins were put to death with him, and they were buried with him.
Yet God the Father resurrected Jesus from the dead. When Jesus was resurrected,
he rose victorious over sin, hell, Satan and death.
By God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, and in what
he did for us in dying for our sins, we can be forgiven our sins and have
eternal life with God. When we trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of
our lives, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are resurrected
with Christ in newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness
and holiness” (Eph. 4:24; cf. Ro. 6). Jesus died that we might die to sin and
live to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24). He died that we might no longer live for
ourselves but for him who gave his life up for us (2 Co. 5:15). He died that
the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not
according to the flesh, but who conduct our lives according to the Spirit (See:
Ro. 8:1-14). Jesus did not die just so we can escape hell and go to heaven when
we die. He died to put sin to death in our lives, and so we can live to him and
to his righteousness, set free from the control of sin and Satan over our
lives.
Living Sacrifices
Because of what Jesus Christ did for us in putting sin to
death, and in being resurrected from the dead in order to give us new lives in
Christ Jesus, our Lord, we are to give our lives to God as living sacrifices
(offerings), holy and acceptable (well-pleasing) to God. In other words, when
Jesus died for our sins, we were bought with a price. He bought us back for God
with his blood in order that we might no longer walk in sin, but that we may walk
in his holiness. To be holy means to be set apart from (different, unlike) the
world because we are becoming like Jesus, being transformed into his likeness.
Our lives are no longer our own to be lived how we want. Jesus is now our Lord
(owner-master), and we are his bondservants (slaves) – no longer slaves to sin,
but now slaves to righteousness.
So, what should this look like? I don’t believe it means we
now live in sinless perfection (See: 1 Jn. 2:1). But, it should mean that we
now conduct our lives (in lifestyle) according to the Spirit and no longer
according to the flesh. If we walk according to the flesh, we will die, but if
by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live (Ro.
8:1-14). Coming to Christ means we deny self, we take up our cross daily (die
daily to sin and self), and we follow (obey) Jesus (Lu. 9:23-25). It means,
too, that we listen to Jesus and we follow (obey) him (See: Jn. 10).
Basically, if we truly see our lives as no longer our own,
but that they were bought with the price of Jesus’ blood shed on the cross for
our sins, and if we truly see Jesus as our owner-master and us as his
bond-slaves, it should radically transform our lives. Jesus will be our first
consideration in whatever we do, and we won’t be looking for ways in which we
can still live to gratify our sinful flesh. We won’t allow our eyes to see or
our ears to hear, as much as it is within our power to do so, what brings
dishonor to God and what gives glory to our sinful flesh. We won’t allow
ourselves to be entertained by the sinful practices of others via TV and
movies, but we will want to honor God in all that we do. We won’t go our own
way, either, but we will desire to follow the ways of God, and to seek his will
for our lives.
Spiritual Worship
When we do this, i.e. when we give our lives over to God as
living offerings to him, holy and well-pleasing to God, this is our spiritual
worship of him. Although it is true that our worship of God involves praise,
thanksgiving, adoration, singing and rejoicing, it cannot be true worship of
him if we are still living to gratify our sinful flesh and giving lip-service
only.
So many people have a twisted or an incomplete idea of what
it means to worship God. In the church of today, the word “worship” is often associated
merely with a song service, and perhaps with the lifting or clapping of hands. But
true worship of God begins in our hearts, and it has to do with worshiping him
in spirit and in truth, i.e. with our entire being, in the Spirit of God, and
in honesty and integrity. To worship God means to give him our honor, respect,
devotion and obedience, as well as our admiration and adoration. Yet, we praise
him with how we live our lives, not just with our lips. We honor him with our
obedience. We demonstrate our devotion to him by walking in his ways and in his
truth, and by following his lead. And, we respect him by taking his word
seriously and applying it to our lives.
Conformed vs.
Transformed
Why is it that so many who call themselves Christians are
still living lives conformed to the ways of this sinful world? And, they are
not living lives transformed by the power of the Spirit of God living within
them? There is not much of a distinction these days between the church and the
world. In fact, the church has become much like the world in order to attract
the world of sin to its gatherings. It markets itself to the world, too, using
sinful practices, deception and manipulation of human emotion. A large
percentage of today’s church has become followers of men (humans) instead of
followers of God. Books written by human authors (not God-breathed) have
replaced scripture in small group “Bible studies.” Entertainment has become the
central focus of many “worship services.” And, manipulation of human emotion
has superseded the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.
Because of all this, the church is on a moral decline. A
large majority of pastors battle with pornography addiction and/or have flirted
with extramarital affairs. Since they are so often defeated by sin’s
deceitfulness themselves, they are not leading their congregations to forsake
sin and to follow their Lord in obedience. The gospel has also been diluted to make
it more appealing and acceptable to the people of the world, in order to give
free license to continue in sin without guilt and without remorse, while
claiming heaven when they die.
During “worship services” they show movie clips from movies
sometimes containing sexual situations or glorifying other sins, and then they
try to use these to make spiritual application. Yet, these movies often
contradict the very truths they are being used to illustrate, so they are
self-defeating. Yet, church leaders do this to try to connect and identify with
the people of this sinful world on their level, but is that what Jesus did? No!
Jesus was not put to death because he made nice with the world. He confronted
the world with their sins, and told them that what they were doing was evil, so
they hated him and put him to death on a cross. And, we are to be like Jesus,
not like the world. We need to be transformed of the Spirit of God, and no
longer conformed to the ways of this sinful world.
Lord, Move Me
/ An Original Work / October 16, 2011
Be my desire, my heart set on
fire,
Lord, move me to worship You
only, I pray.
Fill with Your Spirit, my heart
overflow.
Lord, may I long for You; Your
word to know.
Teach me to walk with You,
Lord, in Your power,
And may I serve You, Lord,
right now in this hour.
Lord, how I want to obey You
forever.
Help me to hear You, Lord, so I
will not stray.
Teach me to love You; adore You
always.
Envelope me, Lord, with Your
grace today.
Meet me in my need, and show me
Your mercy.
Forgive me for all things, as I
humbly pray.
Counsel me, lead me, direct me,
and guide me,
So I follow You, Lord, where’er
You lead now.
I love to hear You speak Your
words to me.
I am so grateful that You set
me free.
Wash me, and cleanse me, and
make me like You, Lord,
And I will live with You for
eternity.
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