I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1 NKJV)
The Ibos in Eastern Nigeria had an archaic practice of offering humans to the deities or idols. These persons were not to be killed but to live in the shrine, serving the idols. They were allowed to live but only in the confines of what the deities allow. They can get married and have children but must marry fellow servants of the gods. They do not defile (anything other than what is approved by their god is defilement) themselves by eating certain things or going to certain places. They and their generation are those some of us still call ‘Osu’ (slaves of the gods) or outcaste. Thankfully, the Osu caste system has been abolished by most communities. The Osus are the closest examples to who a Living Sacrifice is.
We are living sacrifices, our bodies and everything within us. And just as it was with the Osus, the offering of themselves wholly was what symbolized their service to their gods.
We also have to offer our bodies to God as living sacrifices. This means This means that we treat our bodies as items laid on the altar for worship of the Most High. We can only go to places which our God allows; eat only the things which He approves and marry those who are under the same covenant.
For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave. (1 Corinthians 7:22 NKJV).
It’s so sad how we are daily distorting the Word of God in order to follow the Lord by our terms. Friend, that way leads to eternal destruction. We are Christ’s slave. No slave dictates to his master. Living Sacrifices enter into covenants not to sin against God with their bodies. Some fellows say, -‘Christianity is in the mind, it doesn’t matter what I do with my body’…Huh! It’s a lie from hell.
Prayer Point:
Lord, please help me to yield all that I am as a LIVING sacrifice to You.
No comments:
Post a Comment