Uplifting Insights

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

A Living Sacrifice

Romans 12:1

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

What is Paul saying in this verse? Paul is saying that because of God's agape love and His profound mercy that was granted to us by His Son Jesus Christ we as believers should willingly show expressions of gratitude by giving Him our reasonable service. We can't pay God for what He done for us, but we can say thank You God, because justice was demand, but mercy took its place and for this I present my body as an instrument of righteousness in total devotion and obedience to You. I am forever grateful for You sending Your Son Jesus as my propitiator as I lacked the ability to pay my sin-debt.

Offering our bodies as instruments of righteousness is realizing that our bodies are temples of God where His Spirit lives and He cannot and will not live in an unholy place (1 Corinthians 6:15, 19).

Let's look at another reason to present our bodies as living sacrifices is His grace and mercy that is shed upon us daily. God is the essence of our being from the beginning to the end of life and if we be in Christ when this earthly tabernacle is over then we have a heavenly home not made by hand.

Believers, as a living sacrifice we are the lively stones in Christ's church.

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Thursday, February 19, 2015

Walk In The Light Of Christ

1 John 1:7

...If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.

What is John saying to us in our lesson text? John is saying that to believe God as He is revealed in His Word. John also encourages all believers to make a concentrated effort to live according to God's Word. This effort is aided by God's grace. Believers are encouraged to remember the purpose of God's Word, which is to provide correction, reproof, doctrinal teaching, and act a as set of instructions in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). Also, God's Word is a light unto our path way and a lamp unto our feet (Psalm 119:105); all of which is to provide guidance which leads to holy living.

The other point John is making is that Christ, God's Son has cleansed us of our sins as they have been forgiven. This alone is worthy of walking in the light of Christ given all that Christ has done for us and continues to make intercession for us.

Walking in the light of Christ manifesting His glory is an expression of believers' gratitude. Another expression of gratitude to Christ is offering our bodies as instruments or righteousness (Romans 12:1).

Walk in the light of Christ; He is worthy.

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Monday, February 9, 2015

Sustained By God

Psalm 3:4-5; 4:7-8

I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill. I laid me down and slept; I awaked, for the Lord sustained me.

As I began a two part discussion series reflecting on the goodness of the Lord; today's focus is being sustained by God, and Friday's message; Thank God for His Deliverance.

Being sustained by God speaks to His love, grace, mercy and goodness simply because He is love and His love is on display in all that He does. Our lesson text speaks the love of God being that He hears our cry when we call upon His holy name and is faithful to answer our prayers. We can lie down to sleep each night with assured confidence that no hurt harm or danger will come upon us as we sleep. He dispatches His angels to watch over us as we sleep. He then wakes us each morning to a fresh new day with the blessings of His grace, love, mercy and favor. We are then guided by His Spirit around the many pitfalls that we may and often times encounter as this life that is filled with danger and evilness brought on by sin; we can call on the Lord being assured of His help.

In this life we will encounter trials and tribulations; even though we may go through the valley of dark days fear not because God is with us (Psalm 23:4).

We are sustained by God; so fear only God with reverence.

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Friday, February 6, 2015

Washed In Jesus' Blood

Revelation 1:5

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of this earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.

What is this verse a saying to us? This verse is saying that Jesus Christ our Savior and Redeemer took our sins upon Himself through the shedding of His precious blood and in doing so our sins have been forgiven and we have a right standing with God the Father.

This verse is also saying that Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior is our faithful witness to God the Father of our right standing with the Father. This is because Christ died in our stead and rose again for our justification. This makes Him the first born of the dead and the first fruit of our righteousness. This verse also speaks to a restored relationship with God and believers being adopted sons and daughters of God as well as co-heirs with Christ.

Being washed in the blood of Jesus removes the stain and stench of sin and restores the sweet smell of holiness which is a sweet savory to God's nostrils. Being washed in the blood of Jesus, believers have been purified and are now cleansed of all unrighteousness.

Jesus taking on man's sins is a testament of His love for mankind and God the Father's desire to be in fellowship with man.

Jesus' blood has made me clean.

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Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Christ My Redeemer

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of mouth, and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

In this Psalm, David gives glory and honor to the Lord for His mighty works and word as there is nothing in the earth that can and will compare to the works of God. That said, our scripture verse summarizes what God means to all mankind and especially believers. This being the mindset of believers signifies our reverence to God for who He is and all He does and continues to do in the lives of believers. It also says that believers main focus is pleasing God with our words and deeds, which honors Him.

Believers are to speak with the oracles of God, which is speaking as He gives utterance. When speaking to others our speech should be seasoned with grace and love. Then believers' meditation is to gain a deeper meaning of God's Word as believers live holy lives before God.

Christ's Spirit being our strength is because the Holy Spirit lives in every believer and in our weakest moment His strength takes over. His strength gives believers to boldness to witness Christ in unusual places. His strength gives believers the power to meet and defeat Satan on his turf.

Christ is our redeemer because of His work of atonement on Calvary's cross. Christ is our redeemer because He paid man's sin-debt. Through Christ's redeeming works God the Father sees the righteousness of His Son in all believers.

Christ my Redeemer.

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White3285@sbcglobal.net