Spiritual Training in an Earthly World

(Staying home for the third day in a row. If you get my blog via e-mail, I encourage you to goto my blog: in-stepwithspirit.blogspot.com. I have prayer request, personal tid-bits, evidence of God in my life, books I am reading and my favorite comments YOU make that you may not be seeing.)

Read Romans 12:1-2 (only two verses, but powerful)
NEW Theme: Christian relationships and attitudes
Title in NIV: Living sacrifice to God.

First, we see the word 'therefore'. What does it refer to? I think it is 11:32, "For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all." Therefore, in view of God's mercy, offer your bodies as living sacrifices. A sacrifice in biblical terms is an offering of something valuable to God. If your sacrifice is not done to honor God or done in loving obedience to God, it is worthless.

In the old testament, sacrifices were animals. A priest would lay their hands on the forehead of the animal to 'transfer' sin to it and symbolically take sin away from the person or people who brought the sacrifice. (Lev. 8:14,18; 16:21) In the new testament, animal sacrifices over and over turned to one for all--Jesus. We are called to be like Christ in many scriptures (Rom 8:29, 1Cor15:49, 2Cor 3:18, Phil 3:21)

So how can we be like Jesus? We can sacrifice, too, but not a blood sacrifice. Jesus already did that. We can sacrifice our time, our money, our comfort, belongings in order to show others who Jesus is. I know someone who has made friends with two homeless men. She takes them food and blankets. She has shared her desire to invite them to a bible study on Sunday night. Now that is being a living sacrifice. She is sacrificing her money, time, comfort and not fearful of danger or rejection.

We all sacrifice around the holidays by donating extra food for Thanksgiving and taking an 'angel' from the Angel Tree (among other things). Challenge: pray for opportunities to be a living sacrifice every day. Keep your eyes open every minute.

When we truly sacrifice for others the KJV says that is our reasonable act of service. NIV says living as a sacrifice for others is our spiritual act of worship. (Worship is not just for the building).  We should, as Christians, strive to live spiritually, not in this world. We should have a focus on the heavenly realm with each situation in our life. That does not come naturally. We have to train our minds to think not of this world, act not of this world, speak not of this world. Everything we do should impact the kingdom of God because we are living for the kingdom of God. Verse two reiterates my point, "Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

How do you renew your mind? Put into your mind the Word of God. If you do not do something different, how can you expect different results. How can you expect God to use what is in you if He cannot find anything to pull out of you---you haven't put anything in like the Word. When you have put the Word into your mind, verse two says, "you will be able to test and approve what God's will is..." That is an awesome promise, but we have to do our part.

Challenge: How can you live in the spiritual world while living in this earthly world? Focus on what glorifies God in every situation. Have faith in all situations, even the scary ones. Focus on helping others hear about Christ (even the homeless, and sign holders on the street). Do deeds that have ramifications in heaven. For example: will watching 100 CSI's (insert your favorite series)have ramifications in heaven, will telling someone about Jesus have ramifications is heaven, will sleeping through my devo time each morning have ramifications in heaven. If I don't put good stuff in, how will good stuff come out when God needs me to tell  someone a word from Him?

Make a goal everyday and evaluate your response every night. Training takes time, but if you never start you will be where you always are.   Blessings.