I appeal to you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Romans 12: 1)
There are many issues and questions in life that people must settle if they hope to prosper, enjoy long life, be successful, make progress in life, and even go to heaven when they die. Leaving these questions to chance or by default is serious and dangerous. Someone has said that failing to plan is planning to fail. Right?
As Christians, we also have some questions to settle. And one of them is about the ownership of our bodies. Who owns your body? If you do, the Lord doesn't, and if the Lord does, you don't.
In his maturity, knowledge and understanding, Apostle Paul pleads with the Christian brethren in Rome to settle that question of their body ownership. He appeals to the mercies of God that had been shown to them as grounds to offer their bodies to God. And he contrasts their bodies to the sacrifices of the old covenant. Those sacrifices such as sheep and bulls presented to God were dead, but our bodies are not dead, but living, so it becomes a living sacrifice, not a dead sacrifice. And any thing presented on the altar of God first doesn't belong to you anymore. It is set apart to God and now belongs to God. Second the altar makes the sacrifice holy. Jesus said, it is the altar that makes the gift on it holy (Matth 23: 19).
Why it is reasonable to let the Lord owns your body as Apostle Paul telling us?
- Legally, the Lord owns you because He has redeemed you with His blood. So you can't belong to Him as His servant and still holds on to your body
- Though the Lord legally owns you, He will never assert His right until you willingly and gratefully present it to Him as a free will offering or sacrifice.
- You can't make yourself or your body holy. He can, for He is the Lord who makes us holy. He will tell you what you must use your body for, what to bring into your body and where not to go with that body.
- If you don't let the Lord own your body, He will be content to rent it. But the difference is very serious, and telling. For example, I live in a house rented to me by a company called SWSG, the company is responsible for the maintenance, security and protection of that building, not me as a tenant. But if I own that house, I become responsible for its maintenance, security and protection. This is exactly what happens when you let the Lord rent your body or live in your body as a tenant instead of owning it. So Paul was wise enough to plead with the brethren to understand the deal when dealing with God.
I also in all humility plead with you to present your body to the Lord as a free will offering to Him. Settle that question of your body ownership now. Let the Lord have His way and will in your life and body. That is a reasonable way to worship Him as your Lord as a Christian .
And may the blessing of the Lord ownership of your life and body begin now to flow and manifest in your life in Jesus name. Amen
Shalom, life and grace to you
Moving people onto God's purposes
