Gò0dNews from the Pastor’s Desk
A
Sacrificial Living by Kenneth E. Ware
caterpillar was easy prey when my brother and
God’s will, to place or lay down beside for any purpose. In
I were kids. We would smash and kill them for
other words, we are to lay down our own personal agendas
sport. We perceived them as ugly, useless little
for a much greater purpose. The believer is to view not
creatures. Later on, in my adulthood, I discovered that the
only the local church as a place of worship but also his own
ugly little creatures that I used to smash and kill are the
body. The body is to be employed—put to work—as a living
same beautiful butterflies that are adored throughout spring
sacrifice. That may sound like an oxymoron, but consider
and summer today. I found out that the caterpillar wraps
the term. It is interesting to note that the phrase “a living
itself in a cocoon (chrysalis) and hangs suspended on a
sacrifice,” translated in the Greek New Testament as θυσίαν
branch for five to 21 days. During that time, it goes through
ζωσαν, gives the picture of a living dead thing. Wait! What
metamorphosis. It transforms into a beautiful butterfly.
does a living dead thing look like? Starve your flesh, but feed your spirit. Of course, the outer man is to be spiritually dead while the inner man is to be alive. Jesus declares, “If anyone wishes to come after Me…deny himself, take up his cross every day, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). Christianity is a sacrificial life. III. The Christian Life is a Sanctified Life (Romans 12:1-2). Not only are believers to be sacrificial, but we are also exhorted to be holy. Paul uses the adjectives “living and holy sacrifice.” The job of the adjective is to modify the noun. The adjectives describe what kind of sacrifice we are to present to God. The adjective “holy,” άγιος,
When the child of God lives a surrendered, sacrificial, and sanctified life, he or she will experience the beauty of sacrificial living. I. The Christian Life is a Surrendered Life (Romans 12:1). The Apostle Paul makes an appeal through God, urging
means to be set apart: to be dedicated to God. Peter says, “Do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance…since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:14-16). Be in the world but not of the world. Lastly, the command is to “be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Do
believers to surrender our wills in exchange for God’s. The
not be shaped by the world’s mold, but be changed in the
word “beseech” in the Greek New Testament in translated
inner man. The idea is that of metamorphosis. You see, not
παρακαλώ: “I exhort.” It means to call, summon, beg,
only were you saved by Jesus, but you were also saved for
or urge. While Paul urges us to live surrendered, God
Jesus. Christianity is a sanctified life. As you go about your
summons (calls) us to live surrendered. In other words,
Christian life, may your ugly caterpillar past transform into
Christians are exhorted and encouraged to acquiesce to the
a beautiful butterfly today.
Lordship of Jesus Christ. Christians are summoned by God II. The Christian Life is a Sacrificial Life (Romans 12:1b). No believer in Christ is exempt from living sacrificially. The word “present” means to employ your body by doing
6 // October 2020
About The Author
and urged by Paul to live a surrendered life unto the Lord. Kenneth E. Ware, M.M., M.A.B.S., M. Div. Devoted husband to Tonia - wife of 24 years. Pastor of New Sholar Avenue Baptist Church. Graduate of Temple Baptist Seminary. Christian Writer and Expository Bible Teacher.
