Topic: Are you offering Reasonable Service to God?
Bible Reading: Psalm 96-98; Romans 12.
Memory Verse: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1 (KJV).
According to Apostle Paul, your Reasonable Service is the act of offering your entire body as a living and holy sacrifice which is acceptable to God. This should be done in response to God’s mercies in your life.
Offering a living sacrifice means offering a wholehearted and grateful devotion to God Amighty in response to the mercies God has shown to you. This is a continuous sacrifice of gratitude, praise and worship to God who redeemed you from the kingdom of darkness and brought you into his marvelous light. Unlike the Old Testament era in which an animal is killed to make sacrifices to God, in this dispensation, it is the living believer that is expected to make his entire body a sacrifice by surrendering his being to God in worship.(Hebrews 12:28 KJV)
Such submission should also be done in holiness and in total obedience to the word of God. This is why you are expected to study the word of God regularly so that your mind will be renewed and so offer sacrifices that are acceptable to God. ( Romans 12:2). If your heart is full of hatred for others, unforgiveness of errors against you, strive , jealousy etc, your sacrifice cannot be acceptable to God because he is looking for those who have contrite spirit and obey his word. ( Isaiah 66:2). That’s why David wrote in Psalm 51:17 (KJV), “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
It is not a one-off sacrifice, serving God at various programs, praising Him warmly at church service but telling lies at every opportunity or cheating on your friends, bosses or employer is not reasonable service to Him. Such a heart is not broken and the body is not a living sacrifice. It’s very sad how often these days you see those who pray fervently, fast often but also engage in all sorts of pollutants and they expect their sacrifices to be acceptable to God. Galatians 6:5-7 (KJV) says, “For every man shall bear his own burden. [6] Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. [7] Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
So, are your eyes truthful to God in what they see, is your mouth speaking only things that glorify God, are your legs walking only to places that honour God, are your hands touching only things that minister to God and is your heart pure such that no evil thoughts can survive there? That is when your body can be a truly living sacrifice to Almighty. Remember the admonition of Apostle Paul in Romans 12:1 (KJV), “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
For you to offer a reasonable service therefore, you must be born again, studying the word regularly, obeying his precepts and offering your entire body as a living sacrifice to God.
Action point: Examine yourself to know where you are not offering reasonable service to God, repent and take urgent steps to make necessary amendments.
Bro. Biodun Oyapro