Transcribed from the Words of Life Radio Program

     I thank you for joining me as we look into the Word of God. The title for the lesson is: “Living Sacrifices.” And our primary text is just one verse in the New Testament, Romans chapter 12 and verse 1 “Therefore, I urge you brothers in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, wholly and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship.” A verse that is packed with power and important principles for all of us.

     Many years ago, in one of the congregations where I served a woman asked to meet with me. Briefly her concern was that she didn’t feel spiritually fulfilled. She explained that she was not satisfied, and had no peace, no joy. This is a rather common complaint. Countless numbers flock to various churches, conferences, seminars in search of personal benefits that they desire from God.

Some teach that victory in the Christian life necessarily means getting more of and from God.

Yet, consider these scriptural truths:

• Jesus Christ stated in the gospel of John chapter 10 verse 10 “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” “The New American Standard Bible says, have life, and have it abundantly.” Jesus Christ gives the believer spiritual life, and the inner life Jesus gives is abundantly richer and fuller than anything the world can ever give. Life, in Christ, can be lived in a deeper higher way because of His grace, because of His forgiveness, because of His love and His continual guidance by the indwelling Holy Spirit and through the Word of God.
• Consider Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 3 which says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Again, that we as born-again baptized believers have notice every that is all spiritual blessings in Christ now. By virtue of being a born again, baptized believer, a regenerate believer. This verse does not say will bless us but has blessed us. Meaning specifically that, in Christ, genuine Christians have, for example, all the benefits of salvation: of being adopted into God’s family, of being added to Christ’s church, of forgiveness, of the gift of the Holy Spirit, of the gifts of the Spirit, and of the hope of heaven as we persevere in Christ Jesus.
• Consider Colossians chapter 2 and verse 10 “and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” New American Standard Bible states “and in Him you have been made complete.” In Him you are already complete. ‘You have been given fullness in Christ,’ ‘given fullness and made complete,’ how in this context? The Colossian Christians, and by application Christians today, in Christ, have everything for salvation and right living once they are born again, saved. We are complete, have fullness, lacking nothing in a believer’s position toward the living God. Believers have access in the fullness for the spiritual life now. Believers need not look elsewhere. God has already provided. So, so many people are searching for something to arouse, to stimulate, to inspire their lives. Fewer and fewer people seem, even just content within themselves. A Bible commentator writes regarding, Colossians chapter 2 and verse 10 “A strange and often hard-to-identify inner vacuum gives most people and uneasy sense of incompleteness. Yet, Christ fills that vacuum, that emptiness! As Jesus Christ is fully divine, Colossians chapter 2 and verse 9, “so we, united through saving faith in Him, can find personal fulfillment, fullness, completeness inwardly in Him. And this is accessible now. God has already done His part, in Christ, for the Christian.”
• Consider Second Peter chapter 1 and verse 3 “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” Note again, God has already given, equipped the true believer with everything we need from His side for Spiritual life and godliness of character. All of the spiritual gifts are available, the fruit of the Spirit are available by the indwelling Holy Spirit for the born-again believer.  

     The inspired apostle Peter writes unmistakably, clearly, that Christians need not ask God for something more, nor to search for something else, to enjoy the abundant life in Christ. We already have every spiritual resource needed to find fulfillment, peace, and joy.

So why do so very many still wander in a spiritual desert? Feeling unfulfilled, incomplete, even empty at times.

     Of course, first they indeed must be born-again, baptized, Spirit indwelt believers. Jesus stated in John chapter 3 and verse 5 “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.”

     John chapter 3 and verse 6 “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit.” Titus chapter 3 and verse 5 says in part “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” So, indeed we must be born again, baptized and Spirit indwelt.

     However, even born-again, baptized believers often complain of being in a joyless, spiritual rut. Feelings of tedious, even dreary routine that just drag them down.

There’s the rub! Feelings! Yes, of course, we’re all human, we have feelings, we are emotional, we get down occasionally but are Christians to live enslaved to or feelings, to our emotions.

     Did the apostle Paul in Romans chapter 1 verse 17 write: “just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by feelings?’ No! The righteous will live by Faith!

Including faith, trusting, and believing the Word of God!

Remember? John chapter 10 and verse 10 “They may have life and have it to the full.”

Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 3 “every spiritual blessing in Christ.”

Colossians chapter 2 and verse 10 In the New American Standard Bible “in Him you have been made complete.”

Second Peter chapter 1 and verse 3 “given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him.”

     To be sure all of these truths will be perfected upon our glorification – which is yet future. But God’s word to us is that we should access and enjoy these truths of the abundant life in Christ now! And live it out by faith, not succumbing to negative defeated feelings constantly.

     There’s more…the lady that came to me stated that she was in search of her personally needed spiritual resources that she desired from God in order to feel full and complete.

     No consider this last text closely. Romans chapter 12 and verse 1 “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.” (Some Bible versions translate “your reasonable service.”) No let’s break this verse down:

• “In view of God’s mercy.” Includes all that God has already given believers, in Christ Jesus, by His mercy, His salvation that He has given to us by His grace, by His love through the cross, and Christ’s righteousness credited to us, and all the rest. Every Spiritual blessing that we can enjoy in Christ Jesus as saved individuals. In view of these and many more spectacular spiritual blessings in Christ we are:
• “To offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.” Basically, meaning we are to offer our lives completely, committed to God. As Christians our lives are not partly secular and partly religious, our lives are not just spiritual on Sundays and Wednesdays. Our lives are to be offered to God all the time – our service for His name’s sake, our worship to His glory, our devotional time in prayer and Bible reading, study, and application, and including our wholesome leisure time, hobbies, amusements, and work. Everything is to be offered to God to His glory. If its not pleasing to God, we don’t do it.
• “This is your spiritual act of worship.” Therefore, in view of all that God, in Christ, has done for believers our only reasonable service, spiritual act of worship, is to present to God all that we are, body, soul, and spirit.

     So, here is the main point: The key to spiritual victory, the key to spiritual vitality to the abundant life in Christ, to joy, to fulfillment is not always searching, struggling to get all we can from God. We have already been equipped with all the spiritual resources we need at salvation. Instead, it’s to give all that we are to God! Our service, our worship, to commit ourselves wholly to Him.

     How’s your spiritual pulse? Is it sluggish, on life support? The Christian life is about a personal, intimate, relationship: fellowship, first with God, and then to one another. If we can enrich that personal fellowship, intimate fellowship with God, the rest will come in the abundant life. We need to commit and live out offering ourselves as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God each and every day. And if it’s not pleasing to God, we just don’t do it.

This is your spiritual act of worship. Living sacrifice!

 

David Johnson is minister of the Sellersburg Church of Christ and is the Speaker at Words of Life Radio.