“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.” Romans 12:1 (NIV)
Where would we be without God’s mercy? The mercy we have received from God motivates us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God. His mercy is our motivation. God became like us so that we could become like Him. In His mercy, God allowed us to experience the forgiveness of our sins and He replaced our unrighteousness with the righteousness of Christ.
Apart from God’s mercy, we have nothing to offer. Think about that for a moment. The only way we can fulfill our spiritual act of worship as living, holy, and pleasing sacrifices is by receiving and reciprocating God’s mercy. Only the redeemed can present a living sacrifice. God’s mercy makes us fit for that service. What we have to offer God through our spiritual act of worship is packaged in God’s mercy.
The marvelous mercy of God embodies His love, grace, kindness, forgiveness, reconciliation, peace, righteousness, faith, justification, sanctification, and glorification. God’s mercy is displayed by what we have received from God as revealed in Romans 1-11. God’s mercy is demonstrated by what we choose to give to God in response to His mercy as revealed in Romans 12-16.
Do you offer your body as a living, holy, and pleasing sacrifice to God? This is the spiritual act of worship that God’s mercy makes possible. Identify what you have received from God. Celebrate your identity in Christ and the eternal security you have in Christ. Rejoice in the reality of your personal and eternal relationship with Christ. Keep God’s mercy in view and be consistent in offering your body as a living sacrifice to honor God and to benefit others.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
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