Romans 12:1-3 KJV
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.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

"By the mercies of God", the believer present themselves as a "living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service". This verse is paraphrase not being taken out of the context. LIving sacrifice to be holy as God is holy? To live in accordance to the word of God. None of us do it perfectly. No believer is so holy that our humanity at times is not seen by someone else. To be so holy that we never make a mistake is impossible. Our humanity is something we need to recognize, so we understand as believer our sacrifice to live holy is not a myth, but not without error because of our humanity. If we walk by the Spirit we will not fullfill the flesh. Yet even with walking by Spirit being filled to the brim overflowing of our humanity, our emotions betray us. There things are emotions will cause our humanity in walking by God's Spirit to fail God and even ourselves.

Example the woman in church the walks across the floor to dance to the altar because moved by what her emotion or Spirit. Let us stop for a moment what is our spirit and what is God's Spirit. What is the purpose of God's Spirit to lead people to him through us. Is our dance by emotion an expression of our love for God it can be, but if it is out of order of corporate worship it is in error. No one will argue that the child that shouts a little loud in church at the word amen, or the song Jesus loves is not out of order. Why because his/her expression of what he understands. Or is it tolerated because it brings a child into the house of God to learn of his mercy and grace. Or is it just to cute because it happened at the right moment. A child that worships God is priceless because his emotion is unguarded by the adult and the church. Yet if adult does it unless special needs adult, it is consider to be out of order. We have to ask ourselves can we bridle our tongue.

Commotion a draw attention to oneself in worship, to cause one to be idolized in a fashion not healthy for service. What about in the world do we draw attention to ourselves or to the word of God. What is the purpose of our sacrifice to be holy, is it to set the example to live in accordance to God's word, because it our service to him, because he saved our soul, then you are on target. However if you set yourself up to be lord over someone you are in error. To raise yourself up to be a type of God. However you do not have to be so humble that your fasting is then announced to the world makes you no longer humble.

I write to share not to puff myself up. I am a normal everyday human that even on a bad day I can admit I fall short of the glory of God, not to puff up that failure but to admit to say I am and will never be God. Christ claimed his lordship it was already recognized by demons, and the devil that came and tempted him in the wilderness. Christ lordship would be recognized by some of the disciples verbally including doubting Thomas who would worship at his feet upon seeing the nail scarred hands.

Why talk about imperfection at all if what we strive to obtain is to be worthy of the crown in glory. To be worthy to walk into the throne room, knowing we are his child upon faith and we have no fear but the fact he has the power to destroy even us, if he desired it. Yet his desire was to save even us through his Son. Our reasonable service for the work of the cross, we must gasp at that thought for moment, because what can we do to earn salvation? We can not earn our salvation, but if we love what Christ did for us, then we ought to walk in accordance to the ways of Christ. If we examine Christ leadership, we see him as a servant to all those needing healing and to be made whole spiritually. Christ did not say hold a rebellion, take up your cross and die on it. He said follow in the path of faith and be obedient to God's word.

What kind of sacrifice is God looking from his children. He expecting his children to love. To show compassion. Our walking by the spirit is about love. To love unconditionally as Christ loved us. To be willing to lay our life down if necessary for another. If we think about it, fire fighters, rescue works, and so forth do it not do so for fame or money. Most people run out of a burning building not into one. Instead they run into danger to help someone in need. Is it love, it can be. Being medical doctor or nurse can show love as well. It not the service jobs that is a symbol of sacrifice it whatever place you are in life, and are you willing to help others. Are you helping someone else climb the corporate ladder alone with you. Are you helping people that seem to fail at every job they ever did, to stay employed not by covering up for them but helping them learn to work on the job. Do you know a shut in that needs a friend. I have had a time in my life i had no time to check on anyone beyond a phone call. Yet even the phone calls are sometimes not enough.

It not hard to live the sacrificial life to God, to share his word when opportunity and open door comes. Sometimes sharing when the open door is perhaps cracked. Speaking truth when the world wants you to lie. Living holy because Christ is holy. Holy by faith in God. To believe him when the storm comes to take his words as truth, to believe God's word in our hearts about the things that are coming and do we understand will come to pass by his Spirit. To believe in Christ return, to believe God's wrath will come on those who are disobedient. Yet God sent first John the Baptist to prepare the hearts of the people. Every minister of faith is to prepare the people to meet Christ. Not just John the Baptist. I often wonder why was the forerunner to Christ was so important to preparation. The religious leaders where in place. There were people outside the Temple and the Synagogues that needed to know about Jewish faith and today the Christian faith. The church understands not the worlds language and the world understands not the church language, so there will always be a need for teachers outside the church.

What has the fireworkers of faith been doing all this time. building up lives of people and rebuilding neighborhoods, schools and so forth. Making sure there is clean water but it is nothing that other groups have not done in regards to help the people in need. They reach out in the business world and other communities as well, filling that spot needed to help not only relationship but to help share the hope of God's love through Christ Jesus. All this is done by walking by the Spirit of God. That is the church world, the people of faith are doing. Yet everyone falls short of the glory of God.

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to be holy in faith, to walk by your Spirit, living a life pleasing to you. In Jesus preciou name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Luke 1:17 KJV 17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.