I invite you to come then brethren, through the compassion of God, presenting that your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, well pleasing to God, this is your reasonable service.*
What is the working of ministry? is it to reach the lost? giving? Or "to build up the body of Christ." All the gifts are given to the Church, being rooted and grounded in the greatest gift agape love and when working in unity build up the body. This word for build up also means edification, strengthening. Paul writes nothing else strengthens but faith that is energized through agape love.* Faith is strengthened through the word of God and is energized or active through love. Without love, faith is dead, it has no power or energy to accomplish its goal of building up the body of Christ. This word for equipping is difficult to express in English words, it is better said as, a perfectly adjusted adaptation; complete qualification, for a specific purpose. This fits with the concept of being His workmanship created beforehand.
Your Love Defends Me
There are so many "good things" that we could be doing, so many sacrifices that we can make as if to God, but none is as important to God as this, of becoming a living sacrifice. It is as Paul writes our reasonable service or worship, it is our purpose. So this reasonable service is the purpose of the Church so that it becomes like Jesus in maturity, holy, pure, being built up into the full measure of the stature of Christ. Thus the Church is "Christ-like" and can truly be called Christianity. Without such a reflection of Christ, no matter how much it presents a sacrifice of other "good things" the Church is not fulfilling its purpose, its reasonable service.
I invite you to come then brethren...
This word for invite means to call for, invite to come, send for; to call upon, exhort, admonish, persuade; to beg, beseech, entreat, implore. Really there is no greater thing to beg, no greater thing to persuade, admonish, and exhort than this purpose in the Church. The Church is to be pure and holy as God is holy, and in this, we see the need to be a living sacrifice, for the purpose of sanctification in truth.
In this all will know that you exist my disciples, if reflecting agape love in sight of one another.*
Out of all the gifts given to the Church, teaching, evangelism, prophecy, healing... the most excellent way is agape love.* And though agape love reflects outward to the community, and the lost, agape love is best reflected to the world when seen inward, in the family. Thus Paul writes if you can't take care of your family you are not fit to reach out. Without agape love for our brethren, all that we do is nothing. Agape love reflects outward to a lost world but it begins inward, within the family, and it is this love that the world will see and know we are His disciples, as Jesus said. So if our sacrifice, no matter what good thing it might be in our eyes, sacrifices agape love towards the family of God, it is against this reasonable service and is not of God. I am reminded of the Church in Iran, it can't outreach to the community, it can't evangelize, but it is growing at a rate eighteen times that of the American Church.
I invite you to come then brethren, through the compassion of God...
This word for compassion means kindness, in relieving sorrow and want; favor, grace, mercy. It is the Law of Christ to lift the burden of our brothers and as Jesus said what we do to the least of these His brethren we do to him.* Notice, the least is "His brethren," children of the family of God, the Church. This law of Christ to lift burdens is through the compassion of God, seen in that God had compassion on us though we all had turned away. A church that has no compassion and empathy for each other is not a true church, though it would teach such a sacrifice was for the reaching out to others as if for Christ. The lie in such a church is seen in that it lacks the love of God inward; having worldly goods it would turn its heart from a brother in need, giving to those outside the family but not inside. Such is not a family of God, it takes care of its own first before it gives to the community. One can't reason that compassion for its own can be sacrificed for the lost, as if for Jesus.
present that your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, that is your reasonable service.*
This word for present means to present to God, dedicate, consecrate, devote; prove, demonstrate, show. Consecration speaks of sanctification in truth. God literally asked Abraham to present his son a living sacrifice. I believe Abraham foresaw the gospel that God would give His Son as a living sacrifice and Abraham believed God thus it was accounted to him as righteousness. Abraham did not turn back because of unbelief but he persisted, being strengthened in faith until he became fully convinced that what God promised he would do. The name Israel was given to Jacob because he contended with God and man. The word for contending means to persist, exert oneself, persevere. It is in the testing of our faith that we are proven mature. In this proving, we learn to persevere or endure as Jacob persisted. In Christ we persevere, grow into maturity through sanctification in truth, looking intently into the truth persevering and we too receive the blessing as Jacob did.
This word for invite means to call for, invite to come, send for; to call upon, exhort, admonish, persuade; to beg, beseech, entreat, implore. Really there is no greater thing to beg, no greater thing to persuade, admonish, and exhort than this purpose in the Church. The Church is to be pure and holy as God is holy, and in this, we see the need to be a living sacrifice, for the purpose of sanctification in truth.
In this all will know that you exist my disciples, if reflecting agape love in sight of one another.*
Out of all the gifts given to the Church, teaching, evangelism, prophecy, healing... the most excellent way is agape love.* And though agape love reflects outward to the community, and the lost, agape love is best reflected to the world when seen inward, in the family. Thus Paul writes if you can't take care of your family you are not fit to reach out. Without agape love for our brethren, all that we do is nothing. Agape love reflects outward to a lost world but it begins inward, within the family, and it is this love that the world will see and know we are His disciples, as Jesus said. So if our sacrifice, no matter what good thing it might be in our eyes, sacrifices agape love towards the family of God, it is against this reasonable service and is not of God. I am reminded of the Church in Iran, it can't outreach to the community, it can't evangelize, but it is growing at a rate eighteen times that of the American Church.
I invite you to come then brethren, through the compassion of God...
This word for compassion means kindness, in relieving sorrow and want; favor, grace, mercy. It is the Law of Christ to lift the burden of our brothers and as Jesus said what we do to the least of these His brethren we do to him.* Notice, the least is "His brethren," children of the family of God, the Church. This law of Christ to lift burdens is through the compassion of God, seen in that God had compassion on us though we all had turned away. A church that has no compassion and empathy for each other is not a true church, though it would teach such a sacrifice was for the reaching out to others as if for Christ. The lie in such a church is seen in that it lacks the love of God inward; having worldly goods it would turn its heart from a brother in need, giving to those outside the family but not inside. Such is not a family of God, it takes care of its own first before it gives to the community. One can't reason that compassion for its own can be sacrificed for the lost, as if for Jesus.
present that your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, that is your reasonable service.*
This word for present means to present to God, dedicate, consecrate, devote; prove, demonstrate, show. Consecration speaks of sanctification in truth. God literally asked Abraham to present his son a living sacrifice. I believe Abraham foresaw the gospel that God would give His Son as a living sacrifice and Abraham believed God thus it was accounted to him as righteousness. Abraham did not turn back because of unbelief but he persisted, being strengthened in faith until he became fully convinced that what God promised he would do. The name Israel was given to Jacob because he contended with God and man. The word for contending means to persist, exert oneself, persevere. It is in the testing of our faith that we are proven mature. In this proving, we learn to persevere or endure as Jacob persisted. In Christ we persevere, grow into maturity through sanctification in truth, looking intently into the truth persevering and we too receive the blessing as Jacob did.
for the benefit of equipping the saints to work ministry, to build up the body of Christ.*
For we exist His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, that God prepared beforehand, so that we walk the same.*
What did God prepare beforehand? the good works? God predestined, foresaw, chose us by grace beforehand, to be a new creation in Christ Jesus. This is the workmanship created beforehand, and this transformation of the renewing of this vessel being prepared is so that we walk the same, the new creation we exist. We are a broken vessel having been repaired or prepared beforehand for good works or a vessel prepared for His use. Workmanship is that which is made, or done; a work, workmanship, creation. It is His work, not any good work that we do. So what is the equipping of the Church? to do good works? no, but to prepare beforehand His workmanship. Those who look like Christ will as they go into all nations make disciples, they will do good works. If the Church doesn't look like Jesus it is not His workmanship, and anything that sacrifices this reasonable service is not for the reasonable service of God.
Service means ministry, service to God. What is ministry? we can say it is to serve God in the purpose he created us for. Or we can say it is to focus on the gift he has given us to prepare workmen for service. This word for service is often translated as worship but worship is a different Greek word. This word for reasonable is often translated as spiritual but from its root, we get the English word logical. It means "reasoning expressed by words," which speaks of reasoning in our minds that this is our service to God. It is the confession of our faith, of speaking to a conclusion, a word being the expression of a thought. Our faith should reflect this confession. I believe this is the testimony of water, of sanctification. This is to be our mindset, to be proven, to be mature, which reflects the mind of Christ.
that your reasonable service.*
Service means ministry, service to God. What is ministry? we can say it is to serve God in the purpose he created us for. Or we can say it is to focus on the gift he has given us to prepare workmen for service. This word for service is often translated as worship but worship is a different Greek word. This word for reasonable is often translated as spiritual but from its root, we get the English word logical. It means "reasoning expressed by words," which speaks of reasoning in our minds that this is our service to God. It is the confession of our faith, of speaking to a conclusion, a word being the expression of a thought. Our faith should reflect this confession. I believe this is the testimony of water, of sanctification. This is to be our mindset, to be proven, to be mature, which reflects the mind of Christ.
the Law reflected a shadow of good things to come, not the same work, never power perfecting those approaching, for if the same sacrifices, which they offered continuously, year after year, did, would they not afterward cease offering? through the service, once cleansed reflecting no consciousness? but in these sacrifices is the reminder of sins...*
It was true then and it is true today; sacrifice and serving don't perfect, sanctify, build up. Serving has no power to overcome sin, no power to perfect, to accomplish this reasonable service. We might gain some benefit of our serving, temporarily we might forget our issues but still, there is a reminder of sin. We might be grateful as our lives are put into perspective. There is a reward, to hear as a dutiful servant well done good and faithful servant. Serving though is the outcome of having the mind of Christ, thus our reasonable service is becoming His workmanship. To sacrifice our reasonable service is to sacrifice the growth of the Church and becoming like Christ. Serving doesn't perfect us, to believe so is to have created a sacrifice that replaces the works of Christ, which would be a form of self-abasement of the flesh, as if sacrifice will perfect the work of Christ in me. We are cleansed by His blood, and washed by His word, so our living sacrifice is to enter into this reasonable service. We are being perfected in agape love, a strengthening by faith energized in love, and being a new creation, having the same power that raised Christ, raising us up into newness of Life.
And be not conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of the mind, to the extent of you discerning the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.*
The mind of the spiritual child is carnal, and though he approves inward of God's will he will never have the power to do it until his mind is renewed. How is the mind renewed? John writes the young person is strong, as "the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one."* Do you see the way to be strengthened? the way to overcome evil? the way to overcome sin? We see from a true living sacrifice comes a reasonable service which leads to transformation. And if this is our true service would it also be the service of ministry for the purpose of building up of the Church? The fruit of righteousness, a righteousness we freely received by faith according to grace, leads us into sanctification which end result is Life. Or said another way, it is our glorification whereby we are being transformed from glory to glory into the image of Christ. Or we exist Christ like. We are being sanctified in truth as we walk in truth, looking intently into truth, not being a forgetful hearer but a doer, one who perseveres as Jacob. What is this reasonable service? a living sacrifice which leads to sanctification, holiness, our glorification. What is the outcome of this reasonable service? it is the crown of Life, to exist like Christ, who is Life.
Is salvation a one time thing? In my own life I have come to know salvation speaks of spirit, soul, and body, thus I am saved, I am being saved, and one day I will be saved. So what must I do to be saved? Life is in Jesus, who is the Word of Life, and the Truth, and the Way. So crave that which is pure and reasonable, that which will accomplish the reasonable service of God in you, that which will grow you up into maturity, the Word of God. The Father put His seal on Jesus, therefore His name is above all names, that in the name of Jesus the words of God came, Eternal Life. It is the Word of Life that transforms and sanctifies, it is sanctification in truth that matures. Jesus became a living sacrifice so that we could have the life. It is our reasonable service to exist like Jesus.
Your Love Defends Me