Just a Thought: Holding on to the “little” sin is all Satan needs to lead us into much bigger sin. Paul urges us to give ourselves completely over to the Lord. “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.” (Rom 12:1) Whenever we do Bible study and we read the word “Therefore” we always want to back up in our reading to see what it is there for. In chapter eleven, Paul has spent a great deal of time discussing the compassion and mercy of God. In light of God’s mercy and grace toward us, he says, we should want to yield ourselves to Him completely. This is a willing offering. Paul uses the word picture of the Old Testament sacrifice to stir up the image of us bring ourselves to the Lord and willingly laying ourselves down before Him on the sacrificial alter. In the Old Testament, a sacrifice was brought in and killed. Here, Paul says we are to offer ourselves as “living” sacrifices. Not bound like Isaac. Not dead like an animal. But, living, willing, consciously lay ourselves in surrender down before the Lord. Do this because it is pleasing to God set ourselves apart (holy) unto the Lord. But notice Paul also mentions this is an act of worship. We are offering ourselves and all we have to the Lord for sacred service. We are giving ourselves and all we have to Him so He can be glorified in and through us as we surrender ourselves and all we have to Him. When we give ourselves completely over to God it is (NKJ) “our reasonable service.” In other words, it makes absolutely no sense (or is unreasonable) for a believer to think they could be pleasing to God by giving Him a part of us and not the whole. The Lord can only make us pleasing to Him, sacred and set apart when we surrender ALL. And, He uses us for His glory when we in reasonable act of worship, respond to His mercy toward us in complete and total surrender. Holding on to the “little” sin is all Satan needs to lead us into much bigger sin. And disrupt our complete surrender to the Lord. I cannot serve two masters Jesus said. I will hate one and love the other. How do I know if I am completely and totally surrendered to the Lord? Take an honest look at your life. Are you holding on to some sin? Or, can you say today, “I am laid completely on the altar of the Lord.” Lord, take me and all I have today. Cleanse me and purify me. Set me apart for Your service and glory and use me in your service by Your will. In Jesus name, amen.
