What is true Christian dedication? For one thing, it means giving God your body. Before we trusted Christ we used our bodies for sinful pleasures and purposes, but now that we belong to Him we want to use our bodies for His glory.

The Christian’s body is God’s temple because the Spirit of God dwells within him. It is our privilege to glorify Christ in our body and magnify Christ in our body.

Just as Jesus Christ had to take upon Himself a body in order to accomplish God’s will on earth, so we must yield our bodies to Christ that He might continue God’s work through us.

We must yield the members of the body as “instruments of righteousness” (Romans 6:13) for the Holy Spirit to use in the doing of God’s work. The Old Testament sacrifices were dead sacrifices, but we are to be living ones.

Verse for today: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1, NIV).

Also read: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:13; 8:9; Philippians 1:20-21; Hebrews 10:22.

Action assignment: Mentally list the aspects of your body for which you are thankful and those which somehow are less than pleasing to you. Do you realize that God accepts you just as you are and wants you to give Him both what you consider your “assets” and “deficits”?
Imagine worshiping God without a body. Hard, isn’t it? Now thank Him for your body and yield every aspect of yourself to Him afresh. See how this act of true worship affects your day today.

WARREN W. WIERSBE

www.backtothebible.in