REMAINING SANCTIFIED

MEMORISE: “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.” (Rom 12:1)
READ: 1 Timothy 4:1 -4

‘And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy god with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself’ (Luke 10:27).

There are three simple things you can do to remain sanctified.

The first is to love your husband as much as he loves you. Jesus Christ is your heavenly husband who loves you with all that he is. He expects you to reciprocate that love. According to John 15:13, he loved you to the point of laying down his life on the cross. You should also love him to the point of being prepared to die for him. ‘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’ (Rom 12:1). One way is presenting your body as a living sacrifice. To illustrate what is meant by a living sacrifice, we have to recall our past, when we still visited witchdoctors to solve our problems. They would ask us to bring a goat in order to appease the gods. The witchdoctor is free to do with the goat as he pleases. When you become a living sacrifice to Jesus, you are telling him that h can do with you whatever he pleases, even unto death. Are you that committed to Jesus?

The second thing you have to do to remain sanctified, is to love yourself. You have been set apart for your husband and you are his favourite. Those who indulge in foods which are detrimental to their bodies do not love themselves. God expects you to take care of your body, because it is his temple, not yours (1 Cor 6:15-20). Ask yourself: ‘Would I watch sinful programmes, read defiling books or utter nasty remarks if Jesus were by my side?’ To take care of your body, you must rest. To take care of your soul, you must meditate on God’s Word, not on impure thoughts. Also guard your spirit, taking care to avoid demonic influences and doctrines (1 Tim 4: 1- 4).

Lastly, to remain sanctified, love your neighbour as God loves them (1 John 3: 16). To do this you must be a zealous soul winner and be ready even to lay down your life to save their souls. Are you willing to do what it takes to remain sanctified?

ACTION POINT
Identify 10 ways in which you can present your body as
A living sacrifice to God, according to Romans 12:1