Presenting Ourselves For Service-2

PRESENTING OURSELVES For SERVICE-II—Romans 12:1-2

Attention:

MEMORIAL DAY celebrations tomorrow...

Parades...

Speeches made...

Family get-togethers...

Visits to the cemetery...

Remembrance...

All of these events will help us to remember & respect those who presented themselves for the service of this country to maintain the freedoms of its civilians.

As our soldiers gave their very lives in the service of their country, so, believers must Present Themselves for the Service of their God.

Need:

Paul informed the Roman Christians of their need to properly live out God’s will.

We must properly offer our bodies for God’s service.

How are we to best offer/present ourselves for God’s service?

8 considerations effecting our usefulness to God.

The Sunday before Memorial Day we discovered that Those used of God habitually...

1. Consider GOD’s MANIFOLD MERCIES(:1a)

2. Consider The COST(:1a)

3—Those used of God habitually...

Consider HOLINESS(:1c)

Explanation: (:1c)Separation/Purity/Distance from sin

:1—“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

In order to be “presented” to God properly, our bodies must be given in sacrificial “holiness.” Thus given, our submitted “bodies” will be “acceptable” to God. Such sacrificial offerings are surrendered moment-by-moment, day-by-day, & year-by-year.

What does it mean to be holy?:

“Holy”—agiov—Adj.—1) Most holy thing, a saint. Agiov has probably as its fundamental meaning separation, i.e., from the world to God’s service. If not the original meaning, this at any rate is a meaning early in use. This separation, however, is not chiefly external, it is rather a separation from evil & defilement. The moral signification of the word is therefore the prominent one. This word, rare & of neutral meaning in classical Greek, has been developed in meaning, so that it expresses the full N.T. conception of holiness as no other does. Strong—Sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated).

Argumentation:

Eph. 1:3-4—“Blessed be the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy & without blame before Him in love,”

Eph. 5:25-27—“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church & gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify & cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy & without blemish.”

Heb. 12:12-15—“Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, & the feeble knees, & make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people, & holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, & by this many become defiled;”

Isa 6:3—“And one cried to another & said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!””

1Pet. 1:13-16—“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, & rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.””

Amos 3:3—“Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?”

Rom. 8:28-30—“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; & whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

1Tim. 2:4—“No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”

1Cor. 5:9-11—“I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous & swindlers, or with idolaters; for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one.”

2Tim. 2:22—“Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”