Malachi provides a good warning for us… think about the quality of our offerings to God. Paul’s passage about living sacrifices fleshes out what we should offer.
But just what is it that makes for a worthy offering?
Let’s look at Romans 12:1-2 again.
Romans 12:1-2
1Therefore, 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. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Look at verse 1: “… offer your bodies as living sacrifices, HOLY AND PLEASING to God”.
In today’s Christianity, we tend to gloss over holiness. We focus on grace (as wonderful as it is) so much that often times, we adopt an attitude similar to, “God, in His grace, will forgive me for whatever I do… it’s not that big of a deal that I still sin.” We live our lives in manners that really aren’t that different from the culture we live in (which is, for the most part, quite “Christian”, loosely put).
What happened to transformational salvation? Have we truly experienced God’s power in our lives to transform us, truly making us new creations? Or a better question… have we DESIRED such, and worked toward that end?
I know I fail miserably at living a transformed life… at renewing my mind by studying God’s Word… at spending time with God in prayer and reflection… at truly seeking out God’s awesome power, and allowing Him to live through me. I hold onto control of my life too much, letting fear and uneasiness over how I’ll be received keep me from stepping out in faith and sharing Christ with others. I fail to offer myself wholly, as an act of worship to God. I know that I’m failing miserably on a daily basis at presenting worthy offerings to God through the way I live… I’m often anything but holy, full of unconfessed sin and unrighteousness… lucky if I’m yielding 1% of my life to God (let alone 100%!).
What about you? Do you have an attitude of cheap grace, thinking that God will forgive you whenever you fall, so it’s really not that big of a deal? Do you fully consider the cost of salvation when tempted, and the suffering Jesus went through to save you from the sin you’re about to commit? Do you hold back worship from God on a daily basis by failing to share Jesus with others when opportunities arise? Do you hold back worship from God during church by worrying about what others will think of you if you raise your hands to the King of Kings in praise?
I pray that all of us will carefully and prayerfully consider the offerings we bring to our Heavenly Father, asking Him to reveal areas of our lives we hold back from Him… asking Him to spotlight those things in our lives that demonstrate disrespect for His love and grace… asking Him to truly transform our lives so that we can present ourselves as pure and holy offerings to Him.
May God bless you all as you seek to offer our Lord worthy offerings.
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