Friday, October 13, 2017, 10:18 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “I Will Lift My Eyes.” 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.
A Living Sacrifice
Because of what Jesus Christ
did for us in dying on a cross for our sins, and in being resurrected from
death, so that we could go free from slavery to sin, free from eternal
damnation, and so that we could have eternal life with him, we should give of
our lives (our entire being) to him as a living sacrifice. Living means we are
alive, and sacrifice is something we surrender, lose, give up, not hold on to.
For, Jesus said that if we want to come after him, we must deny self, take up
our cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him. He said if
we save (hold on to) our lives, we will lose them (for eternity), but if we
lose our lives (die with him to sin), for his sake, we will gain eternal life
(See: Lu. 9:23-25; cf. Ro. 6:1-23; 8:1-17).
So, what should this look
like, in all practicality? Well, first of all it means that Jesus is our Lord
(owner-master), not in name or in title only, but as a living reality in our
lives. He bought us back for God with his blood, shed on a cross for our sins,
so our lives are no longer our own, but they are his, so we are to honor God
with our lives. And, we are his bond-servants, who prefer what he prefers, and
who obey him in his power. So, we don’t consider our lives to be our own, to do
with what we want, but we regard them as belonging to Christ, and our desire is
for him, to do his will, and to follow in his ways. Our salvation is not just
about what Jesus does for us, but it is about living our lives for the praise
of God, according to His will.
So, what should this look
like when we get up in the morning, as we go throughout our day, and when the
work day is done? If we have truly given our lives up for Jesus, to be lived
for him, in his power, how would that look different from how we are living our
lives now? Would we do all the same things? Have the same conversations? View
the same material on TV, on the internet or in the movies? Spend our
non-working hours in the same way? Live the same place? Read the same books?
Or, have the same friends?
Our Spiritual Worship
What is worship? Someone told
me the other day that all religions worship the same God, but can that be true?
Or, can it be true that we can choose the way in which we worship God? Thus,
one religion worships him this way, and another that way. But, is that
possible?
Worship is defined here as
giving up our lives to God as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing (acceptable)
to him, no longer conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but transformed
in the renewing of our minds (of the Spirit). So, what is acceptable, holy and
pleasing to God?
Well, first of all we must
believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of our lives, be crucified with
him in death to sin, and be resurrected with him to newness of life, created to
be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Our God is Father, Son (Jesus
Christ) and Holy Spirit. If we don’t all surrender our lives to Jesus Christ,
making him Lord of our lives, then we don’t all worship the same God. And, holy
means we are separate (unlike, different) from the world of sin, because we are
being made to be like Jesus. And, what is acceptable to God? That we should
believe on his Son and that we should no longer walk (in lifestyle) according
to our sinful flesh, but according to (in agreement with) the Spirit of God, in
the power of God.
In other words, true worship
of God is not rituals or forms we go through, nor is it some emotional feeling
we have about God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit - but it is giving him the
respect, honor, esteem, reverence, and obedience which he requires of us, and which
he so rightly deserves. It is to believe what he says, and to do what he says,
which means giving our lives to him as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to
him. And, what is acceptable to him is that we love him with God-like love
(agape love), which conducts our lives according to God’s will, obeys him, and loves
others, too.
Transformed in Mind
We are to no longer be
conformed (adapted, shaped) to the ways of this sinful world, but we are to be
transformed in the renewing of our minds. So, this means our lives should be remarkably
different from people who make no profession of Christ as Savior of their
lives. We shouldn’t do the kinds of sinful things we did before Jesus Christ
set us free, either (See: Eph. 4:17-24; Ro. 6:1-23; Ro. 8:1-17; Tit. 2:11-14). For,
when Jesus died on a cross, he died that we might die to sin and live to
righteousness. This should be reflected in our daily lives. Daily, by the
Spirit, we should be putting to death the deeds of the flesh, not entertaining
them and giving in to them.
We shouldn’t be gossiping,
overeating, lying, cheating, stealing, mocking people who are different from
us, committing adultery, viewing pornography, and watching sexually charged TV
shows or movies, etc. We also shouldn’t be wasting hours on end playing video
games, reading novels, watching sports, or otherwise entertaining ourselves incessantly.
Our Lord did not put us on this earth so that we would be entertained all the time.
He put us here to worship him, to give him glory by our lives, and to do his
will. And, he put us here to spread his gospel throughout the world so that
many others might come to know Jesus Christ, too.
So, to be transformed in the
renewing of our minds means we don’t think or act the same way we used to, and
we don’t take the same junk into our minds on daily basis, like we used to,
either. Instead, we fill our minds with the things of God, from his Word, and
from our times of worship of him, and from times spent with other believers in
true Christian fellowship, and also in times of service to our Lord in doing
what he says, and in being who he has created us to be. In this way, we will no
longer think or act or believe the same as we did, nor will we have the same
attitudes, morals, and values, but those will be ever changing to be conformed
to the likeness of Christ.
I Will Lift My Eyes / An Original Work / December 12, 2012
Based off Psalms 121-125
I will lift my eyes to my
Lord Most High.
My help comes from Him, who
saved me from sin.
He will not let your foot
slip, and He who watches will not sleep.
Our Lord watches over you,
and your life He will keep.
I will lift my eyes to my
Lord Most High.
My help comes from Him, who
saved me from sin.
I give thanks to Him.
I will lift my eyes to my God
in heav’n.
I look to the Lord. My sins,
He’s forgiv’n.
Because of His great love for
us, He made us alive with Christ.
Through the kindness of our
Savior, He gave us new life.
I will lift my eyes to my God
in heav’n.
I look to the Lord. My sins,
He’s forgiv’n;
My home, now in heav’n.
Praise be to the Lord, who is
on our side.
Our help found in Him. He
gives peace within.
Those who trust will ne’er be
shaken. God will supply all we need.
Our Lord has done great
things for us. He’s our friend, indeed!
Praise be to the Lord, who is
on our side.
Our help found in Him. He
gives peace within.
I can count on Him.
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