Our Spiritual Worship of God

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.”

Paul gave a call, an exhortation, a holy urging here to the Christians to present (offer, give, hand over) their bodies to God as living sacrifices (offerings) to him. But this was not to be done on human terms and according to self-will, but on God’s terms, according to his will for our lives. And this was to be a sacrifice which was acceptable to God on his terms.

So, why did he give them this exhortation? It is all because of what Jesus Christ did for us when he died on that cross for our sins. For in his death, he who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God, but not in status, but in practice. For by God-given faith in Jesus Christ we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness (see Romans 6:1-23).

For Jesus died on that cross that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness (1 Peter 2:24). And he died that we might now live for him and no longer for ourselves (2 Corinthians 5:15,21). And he shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God out of our sin (to redeem us) so that we would now honor God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). And Jesus said if we want to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him (Luke 9:23-26).

Therefore, we are being exhorted here to surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, to give them over to him so that we are now his possession and he is our Lord (Owner-Master). And now we are to submit to Christ as Lord, leave our lives of sin behind us, walk in holiness and in righteousness, in the power of God, and obey our Lord and his commands (New Covenant).

Now we are to live holy lives, pleasing to God. And to be holy means to be separate (unlike, different) from the world because we are being conformed by God to the likeness of Jesus Christ, if our lives are surrendered to him to do his will. And we are now to walk in moral purity, in righteousness, in godly living, in honesty, in integrity, and in faithfulness, and no longer in sin. Because our lives now belong to God, we are now to serve the Lord with our lives in doing whatever it is he has called us to do as his holy people.

Now, when our lives no longer are our own to be lived however we want, but our lives are now surrendered to the Lord, to do his will, this is acceptable to God, and this is our spiritual worship of God. For “worship” is not just singing praise and worship songs in what is called a “worship service.” True worship of God is surrender to him as Lord, walking in obedience to his commands, forsaking our sins, and living holy lives, pleasing to him. For we can sing songs of worship and never truly worship God with our lives.

Now, as part of our surrender of our lives to the Lord and of our spiritual worship of him, our lives are no longer to be conformed to the ways of this sinful world. We are not to live like we did before we believed in Jesus. We are not to be engaged in all that is worldly and fleshly, and our lives are not to be surrendered to the lusts of the flesh, of the eyes, and the pride of life.

For Jesus Christ died on that cross to transform us and to change us, and to turn us away from sin to the truth of his righteousness, and away from the power of Satan to now live under the control of the Spirit of God. So we are to be those who are dying daily to sin and to self and who are walking in obedience to our Lord. And our lives are to be committed to Christ to do his will and no longer committed to the ways of this sinful world. Jesus should be our desire and what we long for, not the pleasures of this world.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Songs in the Night  

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

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