BEING TRUE WITNESSES

This is an article I published on Facebook on April 4, 2010. Enjoy


I have been wondering how Christians can be true witnesses of our Lord and Saviour when many of us seem to be pre-occupied with the perishable things of this world. Romans 12:1 commands us to present our bodies as living sacrifices (holy and pleasing) unto God for this is our reasonable service or as the NIV puts it our "spiritual act of worship". We should pause to ask ourselves what we present to God on a daily basis. Is it holy and pleasing to Him or is it like the sacrifice of Cain? 
When I consider the example of Jesus, I question my motives, my thoughts, my reason for living. You see, an object of sacrifice does not argue with the one sacrificing it. It fulfills its purpose by being compliant (in our case- obedient). Total surrender to God must be the hallmark of our relationship with Him. Until we are totally surrendered our interactions with God will hardly qualify as spiritual acts of worship. In simple terms, there is a 'worship' that is an abomination before God, just as that of Cain was an abomination and totally unacceptable to God. If it is not holy and pleasing to God, it is unacceptable, only fit for the pit. Coming back to bodies, what is the state of our bodies-defiled or holy? What use are our bodies put to? Would God receive your body as a living sacrifice? Greed and gluttony have come to characterize many Christian lives. We are gradually eating ourselves to death. Our indulgences or rather over-indulgences are turning us into, with all due respect, slobs. WOULD JESUS HAVE BEEN UNFIT IF HE WALKED THE EARTH TODAY? As I think about these things I am challenged my brothers and sisters. ARE YOU CHALLENGED? Over-indulgence may lead to premature death which renders our divine assignments incomplete. 
Finally we must remind ourselves that the stamp of approval is God's to give not man's. We do not decide whether our sacrifice is acceptable or not; that is God's divine prerogative. What this means is that God must have a say in our daily lives if we are going to be pleasing to Him. It is in being totally consumed by love for Jesus that we become relevant in our generation. When our lives are characterized by selfishness, greed, materialism and self-aggrandizement we can never be true witnesses. Let us allow God to break us, melt us and mold us for His purposes. Let us not resist or grieve the Holy Spirit. Let us allow God to have His way, however inconvenient or unpleasant that may be. May God bless you in Jesus' Name.
May God richly bless you today and always in Jesus' Name.