Thursday, August 13, 2015

Covenant Keepers - Part 1 : A Living Sacrifice


This week, Micheal writes: Fred Smith, a business leader and Christian from Dallas wrote a book in which he described an incident he witnessed at a small Coffee shop. He noticed a farm couple: a big burly man and his petite wife. After eating breakfast the man bent over and picked up is wife, revealing a full body brace. Everyone in the Coffee shop watched as he gently and lovingly placed her into their car and drove away. No one said a word.  Finally, after several minutes, the waitress said, "Now there's a man who keeps his covenant."

Jesus made a covenant with His family. He said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." A covenant is a binding promise made in the past, to continue to perform now and into the future, that which we have pledged. Our covenant with God is to set up a cultural outpost to stand against the schemes of the devil in the darkness of this fallen world. Romans 12:1 says, 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 worship.

The appeal that Paul makes is grounded upon the mercies of God, appealing to the people of God. He called them "brethren", however his address to the family of God applies to both men and women. Chapter 12 of Romans begins the covenantal response of God's people to God's grace. By God's mercy and grace we have been given salvation.  Included with God's gracious gift of salvation are our righteousness, justification, sanctification and redemption. The indicator of our receiving God's mercy and grace, is our extension of a thankful heart back to God, His son Jesus Christ, and to others to which God has called us to minister.

The verbs in Romans 12 are the keys to our appropriate response in our covenantal relation with God. These verbs include: loving without pretense; detesting that which is evil, cleaving to that which is good; loving one another with brotherly love, burning with the flame of the Spirit; serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope; continuing in prayer; distributing to the saints' needs; giving hospitality; blessing those who persecute us; rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep; condescending to those of low estate; repaying no one evil for evil; providing all things honestly; and as much as lies within us, living peaceably with all men. We are to be overwhelmed by the mercy that God has shown to us. In understanding His mercy, our covenantal response is to "go and do thou likewise."




God had set up the sacrificial system in the Old Testament for Israel to follow as a covenantal act of faith. The sacrificial animal would symbolize the ultimate supreme sacrifice for our sins, paid for by God's only begotten son Jesus Christ.  Because Jesus' sacrifice of his own blood fulfilled our covenant with God on our behalf, the presentation of our bodies as living sacrifice in Romans 12:1 is not a sin sacrifice, but rather a sacrifice of praise. Our sacrifice of praise manifests itself in our bodies as we allow our minds to be transformed according to his Word. A living sacrifice indicates that we should be devoted not to the things of this sinful world, but rather our devotion is wholly and holy separated from worldly things and therefore acceptable unto him. As men and women of God our acceptance of Christ's supreme sacrifice is revealed by our Godly demeanor, our humble hearts, our devoted obedience, our steadfast faith and our merciful behavior. 


We continue tomorrow with Michael,s timely message on "Covenant Keepers>.

In Christ, Brian

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