Romans 12:1, A Consecrated Life
Romans 12:1 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.
The Apostle Paul has taken pains to delineate at length the privilege of the Christian life in God through Christ. He has painted for us richest of God’s blessings that is bestowed on the most unworthy sinners by His unfailing mercies. As the psalmist extolled, “The Lord is my shephard, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me to sill waters.” Having received so much, he is seeking from us a response. A reasonable response. Not a demanding response. But a willing response. A grateful heart, a pair of willing hands to serve, a set of feet willingly consecrated for His glory.
In Luke 17:11-19 is recorded Jesus’ healing of ten lepers. All ten came to seek Jesus for mercy to heal their leprosy. Only one, a Samaritan returned to give God the glory. He was gloriously saved blessed of God. Leprosy is a terrible skin disease that is contagious and consumes the body slowly but surely. A leper almost certainly face a slow painful death. Life is miserable. Imagine the elation for the ten who were healed by Jesus of their leprosy.
11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
The Apostle Paul is seeking a reasonable response to give honour and glory where it is due. The Apostle Paul himself was a recipient of God’s great grace and consecrated his life for God’s glory. Can we do anything less? May God bless our devotion to Him. Amen.