How can we ensure our offerings are "acceptable" to God today? Setting the Scene “Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” – Romans 12:1 What God Considers an Acceptable Offering • Whole-life surrender – God wants the entire “living” person, not a dead token (Romans 12:1). • Holiness – Only that which is “holy” pleases Him; anything tainted by deliberate sin is rejected (1 Peter 1:15-16). • Christ-centeredness – Every gift is accepted “through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5); outside His mediation nothing is worthy. • Heart integrity – “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart” (Psalm 51:17). Motive matters as much as the act. Practical Ways to Offer What God Accepts Today Present your body • Purity in conduct: flee immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). • Stewardship of health and abilities for kingdom purposes. Renew your mind • Daily Scripture intake and obedient application (Romans 12:2; James 1:22-25). • Reject worldly thought patterns; embrace Christ’s mindset (Philippians 2:5). Walk in loving obedience • “To obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). • Forgive, serve, and bless others as tangible acts of worship (Ephesians 4:32; Galatians 5:13). Give generously • “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). • Share financial and material resources; remember “with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Hebrews 13:16). Offer praise and thanksgiving • “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise” (Hebrews 13:15). • Verbal gratitude and corporate worship are fragrant to God when backed by holy living. Bear spiritual fruit • Cultivate love, joy, peace, etc. (Galatians 5:22-23). • Fruitful character proves the genuineness of the offering (John 15:8). Guarding the Right Heart Posture • Faith – “By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice” (Hebrews 11:4). Trust in God’s promises undergirds every gift. • Humility – God “opposes the proud” (James 4:6); pride cancels the offering. • Consistency – A double life nullifies worship (Isaiah 1:13-17). Live transparently before God and people. Resting in Christ’s Sufficiency Even our best efforts fall short; they become acceptable only “in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). Stay rooted in His grace, confess sin quickly (1 John 1:9), and rely on the Spirit’s power (Romans 8:13-14). In Him, every act of surrendered obedience rises as a pleasing aroma to the Father. |
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