Your Reasonable Service – Part 1

We have been asked to present out bodies a living sacrifice. This request is a reasonable one. The word translated “reasonable” in our text is the word from which we get the word, “logical.” The request Paul is making here may not seem logical to the world. In a matter of fact, the world thinks our faith foolish. It is not normal to have a godly, functional family. It is not normal to have no desire for drugs and alcohol. It is not normal to live with peace in the heart, walking about the workplace with joy. The sacrificial life requested here IS NOT REASONABLE to the lost world but is COMPLETELY REASONABLE for the child of God.

This sacrifice is reasonable because

1. We gain victory over sin
2. We won’t be ashamed
3. We belong to Him

We will just look at the first two reasons today.

We Gain Victory Over Sin

“Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” – Romans 6:13-14

We are told here to yield ourselves to God, contrasting with how we lived without Christ – yielding our “members” (the parts of our fleshly existence) to unrighteousness. What is the result? SIN SHALL NOT have dominion over us! Many Born-Again Believers live DEFEATED, WEAK, POWERLESS lives because they have been yielding themselves to unrighteousness. It is REASONABLE to live in daily sacrifice to our Lord to gain victory over sin! DO YOU WANT VICTORY? Present your body as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.

We Won’t Be Ashamed

“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.”
– 1 Peter 2:5-6

Our sacrifice is reasonable because we will not be ashamed. Peter says we are called to offer up spiritual sacrifices. Along with this calling is the blessing that we shall not be CONFOUNDED. “Confounded” means “confused,” but in our text it is used in the same way Paul says when talking about the hope of our faith in tribulation, “and hope MAKETH NOT ASHAMED” (Romans 5:5). He also uses the same word in Romans 10:11, “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ASHAMED.” Peter is now telling us that one of the blessings of presenting ourselves to the Lord is that we won’t be ashamed and confused. We don’t have to live in confusion. We CAN KNOW the will of God. We CAN LIVE in victory. There is NO SHAME in sacrificing our lives to Him! I have met many people who live in shame in how they conducted their lives when they were young. Many people have shared with me their regret in living their lives in rebellion. There IS SHAME AND GUILT in living a life apart from God. Sacrificing yourselves to the world will only bring shame. But it is reasonable to sacrifice our lives to the Lord as there is NO SHAME in it! We WILL NOT be confounded. Praise the Lord!

Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King.
Always, only, for my King.

Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold.
Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my love, my God, I pour
At Thy feet it’s treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee
Ever, only, all for thee.