by Steven Chan
23 May 2010
The Bible exhorts us to present our bodies a living sacrifice unto the Lord. Under the ne covenant it is no longer the sacrifices of bulls and goats that constitute the offering of our worship to our God. Rather it is the presenting of our bodies themselves in the service of the Lord as the living sacrifice unto the Lord.
According to 1 Cor 6:19-20, the Bible says: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Thus, both our body and spirit belong to the Lord. Hence, our body itself should be presented as a sacrifice unto the Lord.
Jesus Himself was an example of one who offered His life as a living sacrifice as recorded in Eph 5:2-3: “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”
In Phil 2:17, Paul refers to himself as being offered as the sacrifice and service for the faith of the Christians then: “Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.”
In Heb 13:15-16, the Bible exhorts thus: “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” The offerings we make to God comprise of the things we do for His glory and honor.
Hence, when we come to worship God on the first day of the week, let us be ask ourselves, what are we bringing as our offering or sacrifices to God? Should it not be the sacrifice of praise to God and the doing of good and the sharing with one another?
When we have that attitude, then we should not be asking what we can get from the assemblies of the saints but what we are offering up to God – as our sacrifices to Him? Perhaps then, we can be better guided as regards what we do during our worship service and how we do them.
In John 4:23-24, Jesus said: “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” In I Cor 14:15, the apostle Paul wrote thus: “What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.”
Are we truly worshipping God in the manner that God expects of us?
