Tag: Bible verses about being a living sacrifice

Bible Verse of The Day – 3-22-24

2 Corinthians 5:14 (NKJV) 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;

This is a great example of a verse where the depth of it can easily be missed if we fail to take the time to dig in and get understanding.

Paul states that the love of Christ compels him (and others), which is very straight forward.

The love that Christ exhibited by choosing to allow Himself to be crucified for each of us obligates us to share the truth of God’s love and the salvation found in Christ with others.

He then states, at the end of that verse (14), “because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died”.

If we fail to pay attention, we will breeze right past this part of verse 14, especially when we realize that it might take a few minutes’ worth of digging to get to its true meaning.

But let us look at it right now, so we understand what Paul is referring to.

Paul stated that One died for all, referring to Christ sacrificing His life for all of humanity.

Next, he states “then all died”.

This may seem confusing to some, so let us look more closely.

Based on the phrase, One died for all, the phrase “all died” is referring to all who place their faith in Christ symbolically dying and being raised to new life in Him.

Further, and just as importantly, it points to us dying to ourselves if we have chosen to follow Him.

Dying to ourselves is not a popular topic. Dying to ourselves requires a sacrifice on our part that many are not willing to make.

If we struggle with this, then we must seriously consider the price that Christ paid as payment for our own sins.

He paid the ultimate price. So, is it too much to ask that we also make sacrifices in our own lives?

Paul later penned these words, reinforcing the idea that we be willing to “put our money where our mouth is” and glorify God with our bodies.

1 Corinthians 6:20 (NKJV) 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

And, lastly, he encourages believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices.

The question we need to ask ourselves is “will we?”

Will we take the necessary steps to sacrifice our preferences and put Him before our own wants?

Romans 12:1 (NKJV) 1 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.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

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Bible Verse of The Day – 8-5-23

Romans 6:1-2 (NKJV) 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

When a person becomes a believer, a follower of Christ, they are given new life. They are made a new creation in Christ.

In this there is an implication that our old selves will fall away and be gone.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

This loss of our old self can take some time to manifest. But we need to make sure that it does manifest.

It is important that we are not ignorant of this. It is equally important that we do not ignore this.

As God teaches us and brings understanding about how He wants us to live, it is important that we heed what He shows us and follow through to do our part.

We will only grow as much as we allow ourselves to. And that growth will be in accordance with the amount of effort we make.

This is something that we all need to pay attention to. None of us is exempt.

Why do we share this? Why did Paul write so extensively about this?

Is it to single someone out and scold them? Is it to bring you shame?

Absolutely not.

Paul wrote these things, and we share them, simply because you are loved, and we want God’s absolute best for your lives.

Our desire is for every person reading this to flourish in their walk with God.

And sometimes that requires things to be spoken that may not be easy to hear. But it is those things that are difficult to say and to hear that bring the most growth. And that growth, in turn, brings forth the greatest fruit.

So, we urge you in love to seek God wholeheartedly in every aspect of your lives.

Let Him have preeminence in everything you do, every decision, and every choice you make, so that He might rule your heart and mind and bring you to the place where He wants you to be.

Romans 12:1 (NKJV) 1 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.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 1-20-23

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NKJV) 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

These two verses are sobering, to say the least.

Let’s take a look at them, so we’re sure to fully understand and apply them personally.

What does it mean in verse 14, when it says that the love of Christ compels us?

The love of Christ is what motivates us. It is (or should be) what causes us to do everything that we do.

Compel: to cause someone to do something.

Knowing Christ’s love for us should cause (compel) us to make choices that bring glory and honor to God. Our decisions should not be selfish or self-motivated.

Why should it compel us?

Because Christ died for us. And in return, we should all die to ourselves, leaving our old lives behind.

This is our reasonable service, as mentioned in Romans 12:1.

Romans 12:1 (NKJV) 12 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.

Verse 15 then goes on to tell us that Christ died for all. And because He died for all, those who live (in Him) should no longer live for themselves, but for Him, who rose again.

So, if we are His, if we have put our faith in Him, we no longer belong to ourselves. We are His.

And our lives should reflect this in everything we do.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 11-22-22

John 17:1 (NKJV) 1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You…

Jesus purposed to glorify His Father!

That was His mission the whole time He was on earth. And this should be the mission of all God’s children, His bride!

Jesus’ example should be the heart of the church.

It was in His sacrificial death on that cross that He was glorified!

What are we sacrificing for Him today?

Have we given up our old self and taken on the renewing of our minds, that our new heart and changing lifestyle will point to Him and give Him all the glory?

People will watch us. That is how they will know and discern; through our actions. They will listen to us and our language. They will see if our actions speak louder than our words.

Children of God, we need to be “example setters”. In all that we do, we need to make sure we are glorifying Him!

What is the Holy Spirit asking us to work on today? What do we need to sacrifice for Him?

The best example we can set that will show people we mean business is to work and make changes in our own hearts.

It is a sacrifice to let go of what we once knew and take on a whole new way of thinking, talking, and reacting. When our minds are changed in the way of righteousness, this is the acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:2 (NKJV) 2 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.

Jesus took on the cross, sacrificed everything for His Father, for you and for me. That was His example of pure love for us, and glorification of His Father. He offered up everything.

What will we do?

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 11-17-21

Romans 12:1 (NKJV) 1 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.

As humans, many of us put a lot of emphasis on how we appear to others. We try to shape or present our lives to others in a way that gives a certain appearance.

This could be done in many ways; our physical appearance, our life as a whole, our material possessions, etc.

Social media has really caused this to become amplified over the last 10+ years.

But this is not how God wants us to live.

If we are to please anyone with our lives, it is God, our Father and Creator.

He has (or should have) absolute eminence in our lives. All that we do should be to please Him and shine His light out onto the world around us.

We can’t live our lives for appearance’ sake. Doing so causes us to waste our efforts and throw away years of our lives for the sake of impressing others and assuaging our insecurities, stroking our ego and pride along the way.

Let’s focus on Him. Let’s put Him first in every aspect of our lives.

And let’s make our lives as living sacrifices, presenting our bodies, holy and acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service.

Amen

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 3-23-20

Romans 12:1 (NKJV) 1 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.

As God works to shape us and mold us, He has one expectation; that we allow Him to teach us how to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to Him.

Now, that might sound kind of odd to our human ears. It may even seem extreme to some people. But It’s a truth that is the foundation of our walk with God, in the sense that He wants our all, 100% of our hearts, not just a piece or a fragment.

In the days of the Old Testament, animals were sacrificed as a type of worship to God. But since we are now living under the new covenant, and God has done away with animal sacrifices, He now asks us to present ourselves (our lives) as living sacrifices to Him.

God isn’t interested in lip service. And He isn’t interested in halfhearted attempts to appease Him by us going through the motions, so to speak.

Don’t mistake this as God pressuring us into something we don’t want. He doesn’t push us into anything at all, ever.

He does desire, though, that we love Him with our whole heart. And with that kind of love, it’s only logical that we would be willing to surrender ourselves to Him entirely. After all, Jesus gave His whole self for us, so why wouldn’t we also be willing to do the same for Him.

And speaking of logic, the Greek word used for reasonable, in the verse above, is the same word that means logic in Greek, inferring that it is only logical for us to give our bodies as living sacrifices.

That’s a pretty sobering thought, isn’t it?

Let’s ponder on this. Let it get into your heart. If God says it’s our reasonable service, then it must be pretty important to Him.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page. 

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Bible Verse of The Day – 11-8-19

Romans 12:1 (NKJV) 1 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.

Reasonable: Fair, sensible, practical, decent, realistic.

Sometimes it’s easy to overlook what God really wants for us and from us. We get caught up in our lives, trying to keep a handle on everything that’s going on.

In the midst of that, we forget that God asks us to make ourselves a living sacrifice to Him.

God never asks us to do something that He doesn’t equip us for. Oh, it might not always be easy, but He has equipped us nonetheless.

Sacrificing ourselves is one of the hardest things He asks us to do. There is no doubt about it. But He says it’s our reasonable service.

Other translations take it one step further, using a word other than “service”. Let’s check them out: Truly the way to worship Him, Rational, logical act of worship, True and proper worship.

So, it’s easy to see that what He asks of us is about more than us just submitting to Him. It’s about us giving our bodies to worship Him, each and every day.

In doing this, we are setting ourselves apart for God, giving Him permission to use us as He sees fit.

Now that’s quite a bit different than what the world tells us, isn’t it?

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

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Bible Verse of The Day – 5-1-18

Romans 12:1 (NKJV) 1 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.

Ever wonder what God wants you to do with your life?

Present your body as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God. There you have it.

This is what He expects from us. It is our reasonable service to Him.

Many people might look at this and think that this is an awful lot to ask of us. But think of it this way; Jesus literally presented His body as a sacrifice, even unto death. So is it really too much for God to require of us that we present our bodies as living sacrifices?

He isn’t asking us to die for Him. He’s simply asking us to live our lives in a holy and righteous way.

And what’s more is that He has given us His word and the Holy Spirit so that we are perfectly equipped to be able to do this. We just need two things; the knowledge that He has asked this of us, and the desire to do it.

Where do we stand? Which side are we choosing? Light, or darkness?

It’s up to us.

1 John 1:6 (NKJV) 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page. 

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Bible Verse of The Day – 7-16-16

Romans 12:1 (NKJV) 12 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.

Our bodies are not our own. We belong to the One who created us and redeemed us.

As followers of Christ, it’s important that we not use our bodies for anything that dishonors God or is contrary to His word.

Are we partaking in things that damage our bodies? Are we smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, using drugs, engaging in promiscuous behavior? Are we watching unsuitable things on TV, in movies or on the Internet?

Are we listening to music that promotes racism, hatred, sex outside of marriage, violence and other types of worldly behavior?

Are our mouths sanctified? Or are we uttering profanity, hatred toward others, slanderous words or gossip?

This message is not meant to be a scolding or a reprimand. But a reminder that we do not belong to ourselves, and that God wants us to live holy, sanctified lives that exemplify Him each day. And He has equipped us to be able to do so by the power of His spirit dwelling in us.

1 Peter 1:15-16 (NKJV) 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page.

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