“Offer Yourself As A Living Sacrifice!”

“Offer Yourself As A Living Sacrifice!”(Rom.12:1-3).
“…Offer yourself 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…”
When you offer an animal as a sacrifice, it means death to that animal. Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice, so he died.
To offer self as “a living sacrifice” means to be dead to self. This means the pleasures and attractions of the world no longer become your focus, but you rather see them as distractions. It means you renew your mind as you now see and understand the world and its attractions differently.
Holiness that pleases God should be devoid of worldly entanglements.
When we consider that we are sacrifices, we become dead to our own pride. For five Sundays of preaching in my present congregation, after each sermon the people clapped. Yesterday when they did the same thing, before I descended from the pulpit I told them that I do not feel comfortable when people clap after a sermon. It makes the sermon more theatrical than divine. This may not be much of a change, but it’s a milestone! When we swim along with such flatteries, we will continue to be entertainers than transforners.
Paul says “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”
Renewal is not an event; it is a process. Renewal doesn’t begin and end in one day. So to say, we are on a journey of faith. We are gifted differently. The other day I invited the Rev Patrick Foncham to come play a leading part in our healing service. After the service I intoduced him as the one they should go to when they need deliverance. He is having a gift I do not have.
Until we get to that point where we recognise individual gifts and talents, and until we give them their due rights, we would remain in our doldrums claiming a false superiority for what we are not. It is very common to hear pastors say, “Are we not all theologians?” Says who? Even if we all are, we have areas of specializations for which we excel. It is the same with all of us Christians. We must recognise and appreciate the gifts others have which we do not have. By this we would also be introspective and be able to develop our own gifts and talents. After all, all the gifts are for the edification of God’s children, to the glory of his name.
Know yourself. Accept what you are within the limits of the faith God has given you. And encourage others to develop their own gifts for which you should appraise them.
Prayer: Holy Spirit help me not to think highly of myself, but rather to think of myself with sober judgment within the limit of my faith. Amen!
Welcome to a new day in a new working week and new month! Have a blessed day, week and month! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.