He Doesn’t Want Your Life

Good Morning,

Romans 12:1 "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.”

We often hear the phrase, “Give your life to Christ,” and I am sure the motives behind it are good, but why not consider what Jesus actually asks for.  In Romans 12 we read that we are to present our body, that fleshly thing we walk around in.  The Lord asks for your body.  

That sacrifice to which this verse refers is reminiscent of the lamb that was brought to be killed and have its blood offered – that is a serious offering.  That offering goes beyond simply attending church on Sunday morning.  We are urged to say, “Here God, take all I am, all I have, 24/7.”

God asks for our body to glorify Him, and as such, to avoid sexual sins.  

1 Corinthians 6:20 “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s."

We are to mortify the desires and even the needs of the body, it is not to rule our behavior.  

Romans 8:13 “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."

There are many exhortations regarding our body, not just the philosophical “LIFE.”  

Romans 6:13 “…members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”

vs. 19 “…yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.” 

Philippians 1:20 “…also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.” 

There are many other verses, but notice this last passage; He addresses the heart, the conscience, and the BODY.  

Hebrews 10:22 “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

If we want to be serious about the Bible’s instruction, we must understand that God wants our body!  What you see matters. What you touch matters.  From diet to dress, from where we go to our countenance – it all matters and God wants it all to glorify Him. Our body includes hair, tattoos, fingernails, shoes, makeup, clothing, and more.  Yes, God wants to be glorified in our BODY.

Our “body” would include how young people date, athletic involvement, dress at the beach or pool (and maybe even our weight).  This thing we walk around in is a tool to glorify God.  That BODY is supposed to bring glory to God in every situation.  God could have said that He desires our spirit, or motive, or a generic “life,”  but over and over, the Bible says BODY – and that is what God wants. 

Pastor