A Priest and A Sacrifice <> 1 Peter 2:4-5

A Priest and A Sacrifice                                

1 Peter 2:4-5

“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4-5 NKJV).

In my last post, the focus was verse 4, identifying us as living stones in God’s Kingdom. Today we’ll focus on verse 5.

As living stones in God’s house, we are consecrated by Christ’s blood as holy

priests (Revelation 5:9-10), to offer up sacrifices acceptable to God. This brings us to Paul’s letter to the Romans, which says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2 NKJV).          

Paul declared that we are to give our bodies as living sacrifices in service to God and proceeds to explain how this can be accomplished. After all, it’s a big deal—a big commitment—a big sacrifice for a person to give his or her whole self away. 

 

In verse 2 he explains how we can actually make it happen.

1- Do not be conformed to this world. We must not allow the ways of the world to influence and shape us.

2- Instead, we each must be transformed into God’s design for us. When we got born-again we made a choice to follow Christ Jesus. God has a great life-plan for each of us. With the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit He wants to direct our paths and mold us into His own creations. It’s our choice whether or not to let Him have His way.

3- The transformation God wants for each of us can only come about through the renewing of our minds. No matter how good a person is or thinks he or she is, we each must know this: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways declared the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8 NKJV).

How can we renew our minds? The best place to begin this process is with prayer, asking God to help. Also, reading, meditating on, and systematic study of God’s Word, the Bible. We need to continue to stay connected to God on a daily basis. Renewing our minds continuously helps keep the pipeline to the Throne Room unclogged with the cares of this world and distractions and traps Satan will try to throw our way.

When praying, we can ask God to help us stay focused on Him and His Word. Daily quality time in God’s Word is vital. This is not just reading a devotional. There is certainly a place for meaningful devotionals but real devotion to getting to know the Living God and His Son—our Savior—Jesus Christ is essential to renewing our minds. We want to mature into followers of Christ who are Christ-like (1 Corinthians 11:1) and who have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

4- So that we “may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2c). Paul concludes this thought with the important concept of proving out—that is discerning—God’s will is good for us; that it is acceptable according to God for our benefit; and that it is perfect and complete in facilitating the abundant life God desires and has ordained for each of us.

The word prove in Scripture means to test, discern, examine, try out, (Strong’s* #1381). Thayer** describes prove as putting to the proof. As we walk out God’s calling, according to the transformation we’ve experienced through our renewed minds, we will prove that God’s will for us is indeed good, acceptable, to Him and perfect for our individual well-being.

So, we’ve learned from Romans 11 what it means to offer up an acceptable spiritual sacrifice to God through Jesus Christ. Notice that both Paul and Peter stress that it is through Jesus Christ we approach God with these sacrifices. Christ is our Mediator, through which our transformation and the knowledge of God’s will takes place.

Only through Jesus.

When we receive Jesus as our Savior—get born-again—God then bestows upon us the right and privilege of having Jesus stand in the gap for us. Through His crucifixion, some 2000 years ago, He took the punishment we deserved for our sin. He became our Mediator—the One who settled-up with Father God on our behalf. He continues to stand in the gap and we need to be mindful of that truth every day of our lives.

What are examples of acceptable sacrifices we offer up to God? Here are some practical examples: 1- Praise—glorifying God with our lips in awe and gratitude.  2- My self—like my thought life, my eyes (what I look at), my feet (where they take me), my hands (what they do and touch), and my talents. We could go on and on. 3- My time. 4- My finances. 5- My love and affections to God and other people.

With knowledge of God and His Word, along with help from the Holy Spirit we can offer up pleasing sacrifices which are welcome and acceptable to God.

Let’s pray. Holy Father, thank you for choosing me to be a living stone in your Kingdom. I do want to sacrifice to You pleasing things and I want to be a living sacrifice, Honoring Your sacrifice for me. Thank You for showing me and helping me glorify You with my life in this way. Through Jesus and in the glorious name of Jesus I pray—Amen.

Your comments are welcome.

©Copyright 2018 Connie Wohlford

Praying for Our Children and Grandchildren

Praying for Our Children and Grandchildren

     Every day—every single day—my parents prayed for me. Do you have any idea how comforting that is? If you have or had parents like that, then you know.

     I actually didn’t realize this until I was grown, but when I did I was flooded with gratitude. That awareness triggered great feelings of love to well up in my heart—love for them and the receiving of love from them. Only God knows of the bad things I have escaped because of their prayer covering.

     During the last couple years of their lives, when dementia invaded their minds, I came to realize that their daily petitions had probably ceased. Though saddened by that thought, I was confident their prayers still echoed in the heavens and were easily recalled by our Heavenly Father. 

     Have you prayed for your children (and grandchildren) today?

Here are six reasons we should pray daily for the children in our lives:

1. It’s our responsibility. Most likely no one else on the planet will be praying for our child every day. If you’re a grandparent or concerned adult, although you don’t have the responsibilities of parenting, you can still pray for the children you love. 

2. Jesus set the example in praying for children (Matt. 19:13). We have no greater example in all matters.

3. We need to set an example for children. Our children need to know that prayer is important to us and that we pray for them daily. Our own example is our chief teaching tool as we instruct children in spiritual matters.

4. We want our children to have an understanding of their need for salvation and that Jesus is the only way.  Even young children can comprehend this at a level that makes sense to them. The Holy Spirit knows how to work in each young spirit.

Growing up in an evangelical church, I knew at a young age, I needed salvation found only in Jesus. At age nine, I’d been pondering this for months. I remember mentally listing my sins. Then one Sunday I decided it was time. I walked forward and gave my hand to Pastor Rushing and my heart to Jesus.

5. There’s a war going on and the lives and souls of our children are the spoils. In the spiritual realm, warfare is taking place between God’s angels and Satan’s demons. Rest assured, Satan is real and wants our children. Jesus warned that he desires to “steal, kill, and destroy” anyone he can (John 10:10a). That includes you, me, and the children we love.

We can pray with confidence, knowing our Heavenly Father wants our children too. Jesus continued, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10b NKJV). Our children need to know these things.

6. Pray for wisdom in parenting. The role as parent is our most important job. Doing it well pays great dividends. We’d be hard-pressed to be great parents without divine wisdom and intervention. Consistency is key and that takes effort. Help from above is necessary. 

Regarding His statutes, God spoke through Moses: “You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth.” (Deut. 11:19-21 NKJV). 

Parenting is a daily responsibility that requires daily invoking the help and power from our Creator. God loves our kids and wants the best for our them. Only with God’s help can we do our very best to “train up a child in the way he should go” (Prov. 22:6 NKJV).

     Here are seven important things to pray for our children:

1.  Pray that, at a young age, they will realize their need to have a relationship with Jesus and will believe in and receive Him as Savior and Lord. If your children are already older it’s not too late. Still pray they will accept this Great Salvation (Hebrews 2:3-4).

2.  Pray they will develop a keen sense of right and wrong, based on biblical principles and a Christian worldview.

3.  Pray they will love God’s Word and yearn for its daily encouragement and instruction.

4.  Pray they will hunger and thirst for righteousness which will be reflected in their behavior and their thought life.

5.  Pray they will develop a strong prayer life that leads them into intimate fellowship with their Creator.

6.  Pray they will be tuned in to the Holy Spirit’s voice leading them day by day. This will help them avoid such things as being unequally yoked in relationships, especially marriage (2 Corinthians 6:14).

7.  Pray God’s Word over your children. As you read and study your Bible, when you come across a passage you would desire for your kids, pray those words over them. Even speak it out loud. When I do this, I sometimes write the name of a certain child or grandchild next to the verse.

     SO—we need to pray! We need to pray big time—every day—for our children and for ourselves as parents—grandparents—mentors.  
 
      I’ve seen the results of allowing children to figure out spiritual matters for themselves and it’s often not a pretty sight. When we sow to the wind, we may reap the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7a). It’s true that sometimes they find their way to God without parental involvement. Nonetheless, from what I’ve observed, the results of sewing to the wind regarding a child’s spiritual upbringing has reaped the whirlwind indeed.

      Examples I’ve witnessed have reaped addiction, sexual promiscuity and confusion, prison, mental and emotional insecurities, animosity toward God and parents, spiritual confusion, and all manner of chaos.

      So, let’s pray. Let’s pray every day for our children and grandchildren. Their eternal destiny may depend on it.

     What is your greatest prayer for the children in your life? Tell God, right now. Release it to Him and take heart in knowing He hears. Thank Him and worship Him because He loves, He knows, He cares, and He can work in ways that astound us.

     On my Facebook page, I post a scripture-based prayer for children every day. Each one is a good springboard for our appeal to God on behalf of the children in our lives. I’d be honored for you to check it out. See the prayers on Facebook at this link: https://www.facebook.com/ConnieWohlfordAuthor/.

©Connie Wohlford 2018