Rom.12:1

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1 ESV

https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.12.1.ESV 

#Forgiveness!

Amen! 

There are certain kinds of hurt in our lives that may give us a sense of entitlement to hold unto unforgiveness and grudge, or even quietly meditate on getting even with the people we deem responsible for our hurt.

However, today's scripture gives us a unique spiritual insight on why we should always forgive and never hold grudges. 

Jesus tells us that there is a direct link between the way we deal with unforgiveness and our own final judgment before the judgment seat of God in the last days. This is a huge revelation! Unforgiveness may put our Eternal destiny in jeopardy. Does this seems a bit too harsh? Well, not at all when we consider that God himself suffered a great offense with Adam and Eve rebellion but he did not retaliate by annihilating them. Instead, he covered their nakedness and drove them out of his presence with the promise of redemption in the fulness of time. He showed us mercy and covered us with grace. To this very day, God continues to show us mercy and cover us with grace... so when we are in a position where we feel we can't forgive we must remember that we are endangering our souls because if we die harboring unforgiveness, we would have wasted our chances to respond adequately to God's goodness. Unforgiveness is in fact an open expression of unbelief in God's Justice. Yet, without faith, it is impossible to please God.

So my friend, let it Go! For your soul's sake and good physical health... Forgive!

#TheSubstitutionIsComplete!

Through the fall of our first parents (Gen.3) Humanity has been declared guilty by divine decree and condemned to outer darkness far from the presence of God (Rom.3:23). In other words God's Law found us guilty and unable to free ourselves from our shackles.
To be freed from this verdict, a subsequent verdict by the same law had to be pronounced on our behalf. This is what today's text is for me. The word substitution in legal terms means one in the place of the other.
In our text Paul is using legal language when he states that Jesus was made to BE SIN for our sake so that we may BECOME THE RIGHTEOUSNESS of God. Of course alluding to those who have put their complete trust in the finished work of Christ.
Spiritually the divine law has rendered a different verdict from that which hangs on all unregenerated individuals. We have been acquitted of our guilt by a substitutionary transfer of our sinfulness for Christ's Righteousness. In other words, we walk free of the charges that previously held us captives of sin and death.
So, if you are a blood bought believer, boldly tell satan and all his minions that they have no legal right over your soul, your body, your belongings and your productivity (all that your mind and hands generate). You go free unto a new life in the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom of light! Claim your freedom from the outer darkness and step up into your Freedom in Christ.
Praise God!

#BeBlameless!

Today's scripture is a go to text for Christian Apologists who find in it Peter's encouragement to give an answer to anyone who asks us regarding our hope and faith in the Lord. However, Peter's primary motivation according to context is to strongly encourage his readers to be above reproach by living blameless lives in honor to Christ to have God's approval and blessing and to put to shame the slanderers who may seek to discredit them because of their hatred of Christ and the gospel. 

How can we live blameless lives? By doing good and committing to what is good at all time. The key to this Character transformation is to always honor in our hearts Christ the Lord as Holy, that is to constantly give Him preeminence in our thinking, planning, affections, desires, pursuit and daily living.

When we live this way, we will not struggle to give an answer to whosoever ask. According to the context, Peter does not have in mind curious individuals simply wanting to know more about our faith. The accurate picture is that of Paul before King Agrippa in Acts 26. Giving an answer to critics or an angry mob (or hostile crowd). This is very relevant to us today considering the woke movement and cancel culture phenomenon that swipes across the globe. Because for many faith in Christ is a problem they would love to do away with because it doesn't satisfy their view of a perfect world. So to this hostile crowd we should be able to provide a defense of the hope within us and do it with gentleness and respect even when that is not how they confront us.

Be blameless!

#ForThoseInChrist!

This statement is such a well known scripture and an encouraging word that everyone one wishes to appropriate without considering the prerequisite "Being in Christ."
What does is it mean to be in Christ? Paul makes a case for it from Romans 1 to 7, and here in Chapter 8 he concludes that there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
He is not saying those who attend church, or those who love Christians, or those who admire Jesus or again those who own a bible.
No, only those of us who have understood that God's justified wrath is expressed against all unrighteousness of mankind who have rejected God and any form of godliness because of an innate predisposition to cherish wickedness and resist goodness as defined by God. Yes, those of us who have realized that no man is exempt from this defect and that everyone is deserving God's appropriate punishment for our collective and individual fallen condition (Death). Again those of us who accept that the solution to our predicament could only come from God alone. And it did!... yes, God, because of His infinite Love toward us, provided His own begotten Son as the only acceptable atonning offering to die a substitutionary death to grant those of us who accept this gracious gift by faith alone the possibility to escape God's wrath and be given eternal life as we commit to give our bodies over to God to become slaves to righteousness in the same way we did offer them to unrighteousness in our previous fallen condition.
Yes, those of us who clearly identify with Christ's crucifixion as our propitiation, do receive His life and become His siblings. So to us, ONLY to us, there is NO CONDEMNATION because the life we have and now live... we live IN CHRIST never to be forsaken ever again.
So, the $1,000,000 question? Are you in Christ? 

#HumilityByObedience!

Selah! There is a reason why Paul is reminding the Philippians about what it took for the Eternal Christ (the beloved Son of the Living God) to visit earth in a human suit.
Paul's purpose here is to highlight the mind of Christ and invite, even appeal to his audience to emulate the Character of Jesus Christ. Focusing only on verses 7-8 here, it is clear that Paul wants the reader to appreciate the legendary humility it took for Christ to become a man. Earlier in the text we are told that He did not look at His equality with the Father as something to cling unto "7 BUT Emptied Himself..." This unique humble attitude of Christ was further proven or established by His unwavery obedience unto death, EVEN DEATH ON A CROSS.
It is no secret that death by crucifixion was at the time not only the most gruesome way a person could die but also the most shameful way ever imaginable. As the Eternal Word of God and an effective member of the Godhead, He should have died in a dignified way, isn't it? Why should He have died like a common criminal, with zero dignity or reverence? Well, come to think about it, this is the same way he came into this world, isn't it? (Born in a manger, selah!)
In case you haven't got it yet, Jesus Christ is the epitome of HUMILITY and those who claim to be His Generals, Disciples, Sherpherds, Followers, Worshippers, Servants, Ministers, Apostles, Prophets, etc... We all should display this unique Character and quality when observed "Humility unto Death (the death of self)." From the way we talk, walk, act and live our lives, the true people of Christ are extremely Humble like our Master -  the Lamb of God.
Arrogance can only be found in the people of the one who said to himself "I will be like the most high." (Isaiah 14: 12-14)
Happy Easter week Y'all!

#YouAreLove!

If you are a believer reading this, I need your undivided attention real quick. Look, if there was ever a time when God should have wanted to have nothing to do with you, it would have been before you embraced the salvation He offered through His Son. Yeah, it would have been while you were deeply entrenched in a life of sin and open rebellion against Him. But He never turned His back on you back then... Instead, He pursued you, sought after you and made sure that you are made aware of the infinite depth of His Love towards you.

Why then, now that you belong to Him, have you allowed Satan to convince you that God is at war with you, that He has forgotten about you, that He has forsaken you and that you are not good enough or deserving of His love.

Come on! You have got to know that those thoughts are from Satan and there is not a ounce of truth in them. 

Know the truth! Submitted to God and resist the devil. Take your stand and claim your identity. You are loved!