Reasonable response to God’s grace
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1-2
Our text today provides us a clear description of what total commitment should look like in the life of a believer. From the previous chapters, the Apostle Paul explained what sin, forgiveness, salvation, regeneration, and God’s sovereignty were all about. Now he described how the Holy Spirit could work mightily in the lives of believers. It is by showing an unwavering commitment that included presenting our bodies as a “living sacrifice” that we yield to the working of the Holy Spirit. Paul urged Christians to live their lives based on the truth they have received. He used an image that describes the process of transformation. It is by simply yielding everything to Him and trusting that by doing so God will be pleased. In other instances, Paul spoke that total surrender involved conforming to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29) and allowing the Holy Spirit to produce the life of God by manifesting the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and not the deeds of the world. Nothing is important to a believer than to know that God is pleased when we offer ourselves to Him. This act of complete surrender is our expression of worship and it brings pleasure to God. The more we grow in doing this the more we gain powerful motivation to serve God. Because of His mercy provided for us through His death on the cross, it is but fitting that we commit ourselves to Him without reservation. The popular cliché, “He is the Lord of all or not Lord at all” is absolutely right. Does complete surrender characterize your commitment to the Lord? The Holy Spirit’s role in our lives is to come alongside so we could grow in our relationship with God. When we hesitate and waver to commit ourselves to God, the result will be weak and powerless spiritual life. In view of God’s mercy that was shown through His death for your sin, the only reasonable response is to surrender your life to Him. If you claim that you have an on-going and growing faith, understand that such faith requires your total surrender to God.
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman
www.my-wbc.com
