Paul wrote,
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship (Rom 12:1)"Therefore." All that precedes, from God's righteous wrath to Jesus's saving sacrifice to saved by grace by faith ... and beyond. Because of all that.
"By the mercies of God." Operating on God's mercy, not our strength. Like, how we who are forgiven much can love much (Luke 7:47). We are to do this based on His mercy toward our sin.
"Present your bodies as a living sacrifice." Jesus said, "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me" (Luke 9:23). Paul wrote, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Gal 2:20). A living sacrifice as a lifestyle, a way of life ... a service of worship.
Yes, church is good, necessary, commanded. And worship takes many forms. Let's not neglect this one.
2 comments:
This morning I was thinking parallel to this when considering Radical Corruption. We are told that in our fallen state, even our good works are as filthy rags. And we have to ask, "Why?". Because we are to do everything to the glory of God, and even our most humanitarian efforts, if not done for His glory, are sinful. And when we glorify Him, we are worshipping Him.
I know that you have posted many times about the true meaning of “worship” and also about the Greek word proskuneo, usually translated as “worship” in the New Testament. (I also learned recently--through an informative YouTube video entitled, Why do we call it a Worship Service when the Bible doesn't?--that this word is not used in the New Testament in connection with the "assembly of the saints," the purpose of which was described as edification, rather than worship.) Knowing the true meaning of “worship”--prostrating yourself, kissing the hand, kneeling, acknowledging God’s worthiness (to use some of your definitions)--helps me understand Rom. 12:1, where Paul encourages us to “present [our] bodies as living sacrifices…as [our] spiritual service of worship”--i.e. an act of true worship service, as you say.
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