Set Apart for God

Romans 12:1-3

A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform 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.

Humble Service in the Body of Christ

³ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.  NIV Bible Gateway.com

    By placing faith in Jesus Christ, a person becomes a new believer and is sanctified - that is, set apart for God's purposes. Unlike salvation, which takes place in a single moment, sanctification is a lifelong process. We who are followers of the Savior should be letting the Holy Spirit control our lives. If that's the case, we are currently being sanctified, regardless of what we may feel or how our actions appear to those around us. In other words, we are progressively maturing in our faith.
   And if we are progressing, we must be working our way toward something. The apostle Paul explained the Christian's mission: "For those whom [God] foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom. 8:29). A believer's character, conduct, and conversation should be reflections of Jesus, who lives within. On our own, we might place too much emphasis on behavior and get caugh up in following rules and rituals that look Christian without truly reflecing Christ. But God has given each believer His Holy Spirit as a teacher and guide. The Spirit works to transform our minds and hearts so that we are markedly different from our unsaved peers. When we allow the Spirit to control us, we speak and act in acordance with our true identity: God's sons and daughters.
   Our Father wants His children to be living examples of who He is. He doesn't expect perfection - He knows we can't be totally sinless in our human body. But He shows us how to think and act so we may "walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which [we] have been called" (Eph. 4:1). 
 Stanley, Charles F. "Set Apart for God." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living August 2016. Atlanta: In Touch Ministries. page 30.

The Savior's Missions

John 14:6

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  NIV Bible Gateway.com

   Many believers know Jesus Christ is the Son of God, but we should also understand His mission, how He fulfilled it, and what that means to each of us. Christ had a twofold goal in coming to earth: to provide us with a tangible image of who God is, and to die in our place to pay our penalty for sin.   What an incredible plan! The omnipotent, omniscient Lord had existed since eternity past (John 1:1; 8:58). Yet for a time, He set aside power and strength that were rightfully His, so that He could become like us. Because God-in-human-flesh lived His life before men, we can better understand our heavenly Father (Col. 1:15).
   Through Christ's sacrifice, we are invited into an eternal relationship with God. You see, Scripture teaches that every descendant of  Adam is guilty of sin (Isa. 53:6; Rom. 3:23), and the punishment is death ( Rom.6:23). The penalt must be paid by the shedding of blood (Lev.17:11). Yet the Father can accept nothing less than a perfect sacrifice (Deut. 17:1). The Savior - who was fully God, fully man, and 100 percent innocent - died a humiliating, excruciating death to pay the debt we couldn't afford. He is the only one who could lay down His life to save us and bridge the gap between each person and the Father.
   There is no possible way for us to earn our salvation. It is an awesome gift that the Father freely offers to each one of us. The only requirement is that we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and follow Him. Have you chosen to accept this amazing blessing fro the Fathers hand? 
Stanley, Charles F. "The Savior's Mission." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living August 2016. Atlanta: In Touch Ministries. page 29. 

Brokenness: The Principle

John 12:24-25

²⁴ Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵ Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  NIV Bible Gateway.com

   Brokenness hurts, and most of us would rather live without any seasons of pain. Yet during such times, God often does His greatest work in our lives, reshaping and realigning us for His divine purposes.
   Jesus beautifully explains the principle of brokenness in today's passage, where He compares our life to a single grain of wheat. If we hold a kernal in our hands, nothing will happen. If we carefully place it in a jar or on a shelf for safekeeping, it will just sit there indefinitely. In its safety, the grain will essentially be useless.
   However, if that kernel is placed in the soil where its protective layer is stripped away, something amazing happens. Before long, a little sprout will emerge from the earth and start to grow into something different, useful, and beautiful. Moreover, that new stalk will produce more grains that can be planted, and the stalks they produce will do the same. It's an amazing cycle of life, wherein a single kernel can lead to countless stalks of wheat. But it has to start with the brokenness of one grain.
   Jesus did not just speak this example; He lived it. By sacrificing Himself, He was broken and placed in the ground. From that brokenness came new life for us all. From the one "grain" countless new believers, each with a new life, have sprung forth.
   Are you feeling broken today? If so, remember the principle of the broken grain. God has certainly not abandoned you; instead, He may be leading you into a season of new growth. 
 Stanley, Charles F. "Brokenness: The Principle." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living October 2016. Atlanta: In Touch Ministries. page 10.

Fighting the Battle Against Sin

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. https://www.biblegateway.com RSV

   God established protective boundaries for His children because He knows the dangers of disobedience - for both the transgressor and others affeected by the sin. His Word warns us not to give in to temptation but to follow Jesus Christ in a life of sacrifice, which is the only way to true contentment.

  In contrast, the world says satisfaction is found in acquiring goods, wealth, status, and friends. Satan whispers the lie that gratification comes from self-indulgence. His goal of turning us away from God stated with his temptation of Adam and Eve. The Creator had given them access to every tree in the Garden of Eden except one. The first man and woman stepped outside the limit set by the Lord, ate the forbidden fruit, and became separated from Him. Satan used doubt ("Has God said?"), deceit ("You surely will not die"), and self-delusion (You will be like God") to achieve his aim (Gen. 3:1-5). He made rebellion against God - which is the root of all sin - seem very attractive. And the enemy's methods are the same today.

   Clear your mind of any distractions, and allow the Lord to speak to you through His Word. He has much to tell you.

Stanley, Charles F. In Touch: Daily Readings for Devoted Living. February 2016. Atlanta. page 31.

How to surrender to God

Lord here I am, my sacrifice to you.

“Therefore, 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. Do 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.”

Romans 12:1-2

   If our hearts are going to truly surrender to God, we must be willing to allow God to define good and evil and shape us according to His will. We must be willing, not only to do what is right, but to let God define what is right. Good is whatever God desires, evil is whatever God prohibits.

   At first, conforming may simply be an act of the will. We may obey God, not necessarily because we want to, but because we may know we should. However, if we are faithful in surrendering our will to God, over time we will soon begin wanting to obey. [William] Law said, “When you love that which God loves, you act with Him, you join yourself to Him, and when you love what He dislikes, then you oppose Him and separate yourself from Him.”

   This is why it is so spiritually debilitating to ever willfully rebel against God. Obedience and disobedience are both habitual. Our appetites and passions are like our taste buds-we crave what we grow used to. To experience true surrender, we must die to our own desires so that God can give us new desires.

   When God birthed thanksgiving in my heart, my purest cry was simply, “God I want to be on your side.”

   Consider this beautiful doxology recorded by Paul in Romans 11:34-36: “Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

   Paul’s amazing confidence in God shines forth throughout history and has affected innumerable generations. No matter what happened to Paul, he had faith in God. He trusted that God’s wisdom and power far outclassed his own.

   Which is why Paul admonished, “I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Romans 12:1).

As Paul, whenever anything happens in your life, it is an opportunity to worship God. You have a choice. Either you will turn away from God because you blame your troubles on Him, or you will turn to God and cling to Him.

Your life can be a song of worship to the God who loves you and has a perfect plan for your life. He is wise and full of love for you.

   Will you depend on God for every area of your life? Will you trust His hand in the most difficult circumstances? Will you reject His ways or sing His praise?

July 2001 In Touch page 27