2011 THEME: MAKE READY A PEOPLE PREPARED FOR THE LORD – LUKE 1: 19
TOPIC: OUR DUTY TO GOD II
TEXT: ROM 12:1-21. MEMORY VERSE: ROM 12:1

Introduction: We have been tasked by the Lord Almighty to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, like John. But before we can effectively execute this task, we have to be ready ourselves. We must first give our own selves unto the Lord, 2Co_8:5. This is here pressed as the spring of all duty and obedience, Rom_12:1-2. The body must be presented to him, Rom_12:1. The body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body, 1Co_6:13-14.  The arguments to enforce this, are three: -

(i)First, Consider the mercies of God: I beseech you by the mercies of God. This is an argument most sweetly cogent. There is the mercy that is in God and the mercy that is from God-mercy in the spring and mercy in the streams: both are included here; but especially gospel-mercies (mentioned Rom. 11), the transferring of what the Jews forfeited and lost by their unbelief unto us Gentiles (Eph_3:4-6): the sure mercies of David, Isa_55:3. God is a merciful God, therefore let us present our bodies to him; he will be sure to use them kindly, and knows how to consider the frames of them, for he is of infinite compassion. We receive from him every day the fruits of his mercy, particularly mercy to our bodies: he made them, he maintains them, he bought them, he has put a great dignity upon them. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, that our souls are held in life; and the greatest mercy of all is that Christ hath made not his body only, but his soul, an offering for sin, that he gave himself for us and gives himself to us. Now surely we cannot but be studying what we shall render to the Lord for all this. And what shall we render? Let us render ourselves as an acknowledgment of all these favours - all we are, all we have, all we can do; and, after all, it is but very poor returns for very rich receivings: and yet, because it is what we have,

(ii) Secondly, It is acceptable to God. The great end we should all labour after is to be accepted of the Lord (2Co_5:9), to have him well-pleased with our persons and performances. Now these living sacrifices are acceptable to God; while the sacrifices of the wicked, though fat and costly, are an abomination to the Lord. It is God's great condescension that he will vouchsafe to accept of any thing in us; and we can desire no more to make us happy; and, if the presenting of ourselves will but please him, we may easily conclude that we cannot bestow ourselves better.

(iii)Thirdly, It is our reasonable service. There is an act of reason in it; for it is the soul that presents the body. Blind devotion, that has ignorance for the mother and nurse of it, is fit to be paid only to those dunghill-gods that have eyes and see not. Our God must be served in the spirit and with the understanding. There is all the reason in the world for it, and no good reason can possibly be produced against it. Come now, and let us reason together, Isa_1:18. God does not impose upon us anything hard or unreasonable, but that which is altogether agreeable to the principles of right reason. The word of God does not leave out the body in holy worship. That service only is acceptable to God which is according to the written word. It must be gospel worship, spiritual worship. That is a reasonable service which we are able and ready to give a reason for, in which we understand ourselves. God deals with us as with rational creatures, and will have us so to deal with him. Thus must the body be presented to God.