Is Your Life Worship?

Steven’s Scribbles
“Is Your Life Worship?”
Rom. 12:1-2
    It has become a popular mantra that “Your life should be worship.” Often the proof text for that mantra is Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of GOd, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” If you don’t know the overall context of Romans, that can be a convincing message. However, Paul is dealing with a congregation that is split between Christians with a Jewish background and others with a Gentile background. The whole book it is him correcting both groups. In the previous chapter, Romans 11, Paul is telling the Christians who came out of Judaism that “God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.” But their salvation is now based on God’s grace, and not the works of the law, or the works of Moses (Rom. 11:2-6). Rather God’s full plan for them is to accept His Grace, which is to accept Jesus Christ (Titus 2:11-12). So he’s comparing their sacrifices under the Law of Moses, to the sacrifices they make today. No longer do we butcher bulls or goats to atone for our sin, because we have the blood of Christ (Heb. 10:1-4). Now, we must present our bodies to Him, in the sense we submit our lives to Him. Paul said it a different way in Gal. 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Jesus said it this way in Luke 14:27: “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” So no, your life is not the cooperate worship of the church, but you former life is to be sacrificed to live and walk a new life. I love you all!


In His service,
Steven Hugley