In yesterdays blog we looked into worldliness and unworldliness to day I want to look at our offering of ourselves as an acceptable offering in agreement with Romans 12:1-2. Now this may cause many to gring because it may sound as if it goes against what they taught by their favorite religious institution. Now here it the quick and short of it, there are many things offered or spoken of as being an offering such as; acceptable, burnt, drink, freewill, heave, meal or meat, peace, sin, thanks, trespass, unacceptable and wave. Of these I want to look at the "acceptable" of Romans 12 verse 2 which states this in the ESV; "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (offerings)."
Acceptable Offering,
Leviticus 1:1-9 "The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, 'When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock. If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for Him to make atonement for him. Then he shall kill the bull before the LORD, and Aaron's sons the priests shall bring the blood and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Then he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into pieces, and the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. And Aaron's sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat, on the wood that is on the fire on the altar; but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD."
Isaiah 56:6-8 "And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to Him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be His servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast My covenant— these I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples." The LORD God (usually rendered LORD), who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, "I will gather yet others to Him besides those already gathered."
Romans 12:1-2 "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, (this fulfills John 4:23-24 and 14:17) which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
Philippians 4:15 "And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.
Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen."
Hebrews 13:7-16 "Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. We have an altar from which those who serve the tent (tabernacle, synagogue) have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the city gate in order to sanctify the people through His own blood. Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp (the sacred place of the congregations gathering) and bear the reproach He endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."
1Peter 2:4-8 "As you come to Him, as living stones rejected by men but in the sight of GOD chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes Him will not be put to shame." (Isaiah 28:16) So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," (Psalm 118:22) and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." (Isaiah 8:14) They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do."
Strengthened and Renewed by the Holy Spirit, spiritual renewal,
Psalm 51:10-13 "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing (right) spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You."
Isaiah 40:27-31 with 41:1 "Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting GOD, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; for they who wait (look forward to, to be patient as a young child) for the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not be weary; they will walk and not faint."
Isaiah 41:1-3, 4 "Listen to Me in silence, O coastlands; let the peoples renew their strength; let them approach, then let them speak; let us together draw near for judgment. Who stirred up one from the east whom victory (He calls in righteousness) meets at every step? He gives up nations before him, so that He tramples kings underfoot; He makes them like dust with his sword, like driven stubble with His bow. He pursues them and passes on safely, by paths His feet have not trod."
Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am He." (Isaiah 43:10)
Romans 12:1-2 "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. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your (heart and then the) mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
2Corinthians 4:13-15, 16-18 with Ephesians 4:23 "Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, "I believed, and so I spoke,"(Psalm 116:10) we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that HE Who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into His presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."
Ephesians 4:17-24 "Now this I say and testify in the LORD, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about Him and were taught by Him, as the truth is Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, (Romans 12:2, GOD deals with the heart of man, as the central part of his being)) and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."
Colossians 2:8-15, 3:5-11 "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of (mans religions of) the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled by Him, Who is the head of all rule and authority. For by Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the powerful working of GOD, Who raised Him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, GOD made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This HE set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them by Him.
Therefore consider putting to death what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and having put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is All, and in all."
Titus 3:1-11 "Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of GOD our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, Whom HE gave out to us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned."
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