present your bodies a living sacrifice, consecrated, pleasing to God, this your reasonable service.*
We hear the word surrender often in Christianity but can you guess how many times Jesus used it? zero times. The word surrender is only used one place in the new testament, Paul writes, "if so much as supply with food all that I possess, and if I surrender that my body to be burned, too possessing, not possessing agape love, it is not benefiting me."* Surrendering we do not see but what we do see is the concept of presenting our bodies a living sacrifice. There is something we must do but there is a difference between surrendering our bodies and presenting our bodies a living sacrifice. So let us look at what this difference is. Presenting means to place beside, put at disposal; to present, make an offering. From the previous verse we see if this offering is not done the right way it is not beneficial to us, so we want to focus on what sacrifice is a benefit which means to be of good use; to have value; to help; to devote (as a gift) to God. A living sacrifice is a gift devoted to God, and being devoted to God is to be consecrated, which is to be holy. Consecration is beneficial to us and is pleasing to God thus our reasonable service.
... consecrated, acceptable to God this your reasonable service.*
The word reasonable means logical, rational, spiritual, pertaining to the mind and soul. Think about this, it is our reasonable service because when we are born of Spirit, we partake of God's divine nature thus it is logical, reasonable that we grow up into our true identity. Transformation renews the mind, giving us a mind that approves of God's will, a new mind unlike the carnal that can't submit to the laws of God. This is how we fulfill the Law, we are a new creation, spiritual, and we have a mind that approves of God's will, thus we accept what is spiritual. Our reasonable service is to grow up into salvation, or to grow up into who we truly are.
be transformed, the renewing of the mind, to the extent of you proving the will of God, that good and acceptable and perfect.*
What benefits us is to devote (as a gift) to God, our bodies for the purpose of consecration. What is it that is consecrated? the body. What did the cleansing of water represent in the old covenant? consecration of the body. In this we see the teachings of baptism, to present the old man dead to sin, crucified with Christ. An offering of our bodies a living sacrifice only benefits if it leads us into this reasonable service. What is our reasonable service? present an offering, to be consecrated, pleasing to God. Consecration means holy, consecrated, acceptable to God. So it is not the living sacrifice that is pleasing to God but in that sacrifice we become like Him, holy. Consecration is what is acceptable to God, so it is good to know what is beneficial to us for this purpose.
just as the One calling you is holy, also come into existence, becoming holy in all modes of life, because it is written 'exist holy because I exist holy.'*
How are we to be holy? consecrated and holy have the same rot words, so to be holy is to be consecrated in truth. Such is well pleasing and acceptable to God that we become like Him. It is a great honor when a father hears that a son is just like his father, and this is great honor to our heavenly Father when we become like him, when we enter this reasonable service. Transformed means metamorphosis which means to be changed in form. God does the changing, when we believe, we partake of his divine nature, being born from above, we become inwardly like him, but we must be consecrated as we exist in a corrupt body. What benefits or strengthens as Paul writes is that we are a new creation, faith active in agape love, and learning obedience or the proving of our mind that accepts God's will. The fruit we get in Christ leads to sanctification which transforms, renews the mind, which accepts God's will. The reward is great, the crown of Life.
If abiding in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever and you come into existence.*
A child can't discern God's will until his mind is approved to accept God's will. It is the purpose of the Church to grow up the child, "so that no longer children tossed and blown about by every wind of doctrine, in human cunning, in craftiness, with deceitful scheming."* In this purpose we see the work of ministry, "with the benefit to equip the consecrated, to the extent of building up the body of Christ, until we all attain unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son, to mature adulthood, to the extent of the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."* The Church builds up children to look like Jesus. Fruit bears under the right conditions, likewise righteousness is sown in peace, producing fruit, the things of faith. Most importantly to the extent of consecration is the fruit of trust and rest. Our heavenly Father teaches us to trust and enter his rest, for the purpose of consecration. I am convinced and the scriptures support this, that we can't surrender, neither do we have power to turn from sin, but what we can do is enter into this reasonable service, to be consecrated. How? it is the words of Jesus that consecrate and sanctify us, so hear, read, abide in his words. This is very freeing news, Jesus bore the burden of our sin.
now, truth in agape love causes to grow up all into Him, the one who exists the foundation stone, Christ, from whom the whole body, framed and united together through all supporting fasteners, that according to the energy in each individual part, makes the body grow to the extent that it builds itself up in agape love.*
Jesus said a defining factor that the world should see in true disciples is agape love for one another. Why? Paul writes the Church builds itself up in agape love, or it is truth in love or faith that is energized in love. So the Church building itself up will be known by love or the true church in that it builds up one another in love. It begins with small things, a principle of ministry, if you can't care for your own family you are not fit to minister outward to others. What is the work of ministry? to build up the body. How do you build up the body? we start as Jesus said, build upon the foundation stone which is his words.* Think of a house, you must first lay a strong foundation, then you take a few boards and you frame them together, when this wall becomes strong then it can support the building of another wall, and so on.... Do you get a few members together sending them off into the community or into their own small groups, expecting a church to grow from this? This is what I perceive from these scriptures, you start with one small group building each other up, and when these become mature, strong they can support or build up others.
Therefore any one who hears these words of mine, and does them, he is like a wise man who builds his house upon a rock, when the rain comes down and the waters rise and the wind blows and beats against that house, it doesn't fall down because it is founded on the one Rock.*
This principle applies to ministry; first it is how we stand, building upon his words, the truth, and secondly, it is how a house, a family stands, and it is how the house, the family of God stands. If you give away all to feed the world and you have strength to give your body to be burned you certainly possess something and if you were flawless living to the letter of the Law but do not enter this true service what does it benefit you? There is a sacrifice that is beneficial and ones that are not, there is a sacrifice that is an offering of yourself that leads to consecration in truth, sanctification. Consecration doesn't come through service and sacrifice of good works but through devoting (as a gift) to God your body a living sacrifice. Through consecration which also means holiness and sanctification which is in truth, we become like Jesus. So we plead with you child of God, offer this living sacrifice, this highest form of worship, be consecrated to God, this is your reasonable service.
Do It Again
We hear the word surrender often in Christianity but can you guess how many times Jesus used it? zero times. The word surrender is only used one place in the new testament, Paul writes, "if so much as supply with food all that I possess, and if I surrender that my body to be burned, too possessing, not possessing agape love, it is not benefiting me."* Surrendering we do not see but what we do see is the concept of presenting our bodies a living sacrifice. There is something we must do but there is a difference between surrendering our bodies and presenting our bodies a living sacrifice. So let us look at what this difference is. Presenting means to place beside, put at disposal; to present, make an offering. From the previous verse we see if this offering is not done the right way it is not beneficial to us, so we want to focus on what sacrifice is a benefit which means to be of good use; to have value; to help; to devote (as a gift) to God. A living sacrifice is a gift devoted to God, and being devoted to God is to be consecrated, which is to be holy. Consecration is beneficial to us and is pleasing to God thus our reasonable service.
... consecrated, acceptable to God this your reasonable service.*
be transformed, the renewing of the mind, to the extent of you proving the will of God, that good and acceptable and perfect.*
What benefits us is to devote (as a gift) to God, our bodies for the purpose of consecration. What is it that is consecrated? the body. What did the cleansing of water represent in the old covenant? consecration of the body. In this we see the teachings of baptism, to present the old man dead to sin, crucified with Christ. An offering of our bodies a living sacrifice only benefits if it leads us into this reasonable service. What is our reasonable service? present an offering, to be consecrated, pleasing to God. Consecration means holy, consecrated, acceptable to God. So it is not the living sacrifice that is pleasing to God but in that sacrifice we become like Him, holy. Consecration is what is acceptable to God, so it is good to know what is beneficial to us for this purpose.
I am not asking that you take them out of the world, but that you perfect them, out of evil existing, not existing as of the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Consecrate them in truth, your word exist truth.*
Consecrate also means to sanctify, set apart, make holy. We see the purpose of our reasonable service, to be become holy, consecrated to God. We also see how it is accomplished, "consecrate them in truth, out of evil." We see this concept "out of evil" when John writes, "I have written to you, young person because you exist strong and the word of God abides in you and you overcome the evil."* How is consecration achieved? the word of God abides in you. Jesus said the true disciple abides in the truth, "if you continue in my word, you exist truly my disciples and you know the truth and the truth sets you free."* Many do not enter into this service because they are taught sacrificing, serving, giving, tithing, doing many mighty works in his name is the highest form of worship to God. This is not truth but it is truth to believe that good works or fruit, some thirty, sixty, hundredfold, comes from abiding in the Vine. We are to desire that which benefits us.
Like a new child, desire the milk pure, reasonable, so that in it growing up to the extent of salvation.*
If you are a child of God it is reasonable that you grow up into salvation. You give a child milk, but a child can't discern the will of God, he must grow up, become mature before he can minister to others. "For all the ones partaking milk, ignorant the word of righteousness, since he exists still a child. But solid food exists perfecting, the one that through maturity possesses perception trained with discerning good from evil."* You don't feed a child with no teeth meat nor do you send children to teach children. If this is our reasonable service then would it not be the purpose of the Church, to build up children? Paul would think so, through faith that is active in love they grow up into maturity, to look like Christ.*
... reasonable, so that in it growing up to the extent of salvation.*
As Paul writes, salvation is not a one time event, we grow up into salvation or we are working out our salvation. We are saved (born of Spirit) and we are being saved (renewed mind, perfection of soul) and one day we will be saved (redemption of our bodies). It is beneficial for us to enter into true or reasonable service, so that we grow up. It is important to understand what our reasonable service is and how we attain it, because the devil will do all he can in the church to stop the growth of God's children. Living to the letter of the law, being justified by works, giving, tithing, sacrificing... these things do not perfect nor mature us. But we are not without hope, we read of what is beneficial to us, of our true service.
Giving you milk to drink, not solid food, for you are not able, but even now at the present time also not yet able, for you exist yet still of the flesh.*
... reasonable, so that in it growing up to the extent of salvation.*
As Paul writes, salvation is not a one time event, we grow up into salvation or we are working out our salvation. We are saved (born of Spirit) and we are being saved (renewed mind, perfection of soul) and one day we will be saved (redemption of our bodies). It is beneficial for us to enter into true or reasonable service, so that we grow up. It is important to understand what our reasonable service is and how we attain it, because the devil will do all he can in the church to stop the growth of God's children. Living to the letter of the law, being justified by works, giving, tithing, sacrificing... these things do not perfect nor mature us. But we are not without hope, we read of what is beneficial to us, of our true service.
Giving you milk to drink, not solid food, for you are not able, but even now at the present time also not yet able, for you exist yet still of the flesh.*
Paul is talking to the Church at Corinth, not lost people. Some people do not believe a child of God has a carnal mind, saying that sanctification and salvation is complete when we believe. These do not understand the distribution of soul, spirit, and body. Yes, it is truth salvation is complete in Spirit, in fact Paul writes our spirit sits in the heavenlies with Christ, but like the old covenant temple of God, we are the temple of God existing imperishable in the perishable. So let us not be children swayed by the perishable things, but let us grow up desiring food that endures unto everlasting Life. Jesus said, "Do not work for food which perishes, but for the food that abides unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him the Father, even God, hath sealed."* The true disciple abides in truth and grows up into freedom from the perishable.
How are we to be holy? consecrated and holy have the same rot words, so to be holy is to be consecrated in truth. Such is well pleasing and acceptable to God that we become like Him. It is a great honor when a father hears that a son is just like his father, and this is great honor to our heavenly Father when we become like him, when we enter this reasonable service. Transformed means metamorphosis which means to be changed in form. God does the changing, when we believe, we partake of his divine nature, being born from above, we become inwardly like him, but we must be consecrated as we exist in a corrupt body. What benefits or strengthens as Paul writes is that we are a new creation, faith active in agape love, and learning obedience or the proving of our mind that accepts God's will. The fruit we get in Christ leads to sanctification which transforms, renews the mind, which accepts God's will. The reward is great, the crown of Life.
If abiding in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever and you come into existence.*
now, truth in agape love causes to grow up all into Him, the one who exists the foundation stone, Christ, from whom the whole body, framed and united together through all supporting fasteners, that according to the energy in each individual part, makes the body grow to the extent that it builds itself up in agape love.*
Jesus said a defining factor that the world should see in true disciples is agape love for one another. Why? Paul writes the Church builds itself up in agape love, or it is truth in love or faith that is energized in love. So the Church building itself up will be known by love or the true church in that it builds up one another in love. It begins with small things, a principle of ministry, if you can't care for your own family you are not fit to minister outward to others. What is the work of ministry? to build up the body. How do you build up the body? we start as Jesus said, build upon the foundation stone which is his words.* Think of a house, you must first lay a strong foundation, then you take a few boards and you frame them together, when this wall becomes strong then it can support the building of another wall, and so on.... Do you get a few members together sending them off into the community or into their own small groups, expecting a church to grow from this? This is what I perceive from these scriptures, you start with one small group building each other up, and when these become mature, strong they can support or build up others.
Therefore any one who hears these words of mine, and does them, he is like a wise man who builds his house upon a rock, when the rain comes down and the waters rise and the wind blows and beats against that house, it doesn't fall down because it is founded on the one Rock.*
This principle applies to ministry; first it is how we stand, building upon his words, the truth, and secondly, it is how a house, a family stands, and it is how the house, the family of God stands. If you give away all to feed the world and you have strength to give your body to be burned you certainly possess something and if you were flawless living to the letter of the Law but do not enter this true service what does it benefit you? There is a sacrifice that is beneficial and ones that are not, there is a sacrifice that is an offering of yourself that leads to consecration in truth, sanctification. Consecration doesn't come through service and sacrifice of good works but through devoting (as a gift) to God your body a living sacrifice. Through consecration which also means holiness and sanctification which is in truth, we become like Jesus. So we plead with you child of God, offer this living sacrifice, this highest form of worship, be consecrated to God, this is your reasonable service.
Do It Again