A Living Sacrifice Part 2

Review
Romans 12:1

Part 2

Continuing from last week’s message, in this sermon we learn how to tap into spiritual realities to master and manage our bodies, in the areas  of daily conduct and sexuality, so that we can offer our bodies as a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to God, which is our act of worship to God.

Spiritual Realities
Power of The Cross
Power of The Word
Power of The Spirit
Power of Prayer
Power of Consecration
Power of Declaration
Power of Positive Influence

The way things work in God’s Kingdom.
In God’s Kingdom, God completes something in the spirit and then causes it to unfold in the natural realm.

Christ was the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world. But then in time, Christ had to go to the Cross.

Similarly, there are spiritual realities God has already made true for us as believers. These are already completed for us. But in the natural we draw out of what has been completed in the spirit (i.e. spiritual realm) and walk in it in the natural realm.

So as believers we walk from Realities in the spirit to Experience in the natural. We walk from Completion in the spirit, to Achievement in the natural.

This is different from what Religion attempts. Religion attempts to say first fulfill in the natural, then you may attain to it in the spirit.

Religion says, if you live a good life now, you may have eternal life in the future.
God says, I give you eternal life now, so live out a good life which is an expression of the eternal life in you.

Spiritual Realities and Their Application

1, Power of The Cross

My personal struggle.

Romans 6

• Crucified with Christ—The body (power) of sin was destroyed.
• Buried with Christ—Separated from the past life.
• Made alive from the dead with Christ—Given new life.
• Raised up into the heavens with Christ—Separated from the present age/world.
• Seated with Christ—Positioned to rule and reign.

Three Keywords in Romans 6 have been used:

• “Know”—know the truth. You have been crucified, buried, raised.
• “Reckon”—accept the truth. Accept it as a fact.
• “Yield”—give yourself to the Lord.

2, Power of Consecration

1 Corinthians 6:9–11
In Christ we have been sanctified.

Sanctification (set apart, made holy) is what God has already done for me in Christ.

Consecration is what I do to sanctify myself so that I can walk in the natural, what has already been completed in the spirit.

God respects our will. He will not override our will.

My will is involved. I align my will to God’s will.

Just like your physical muscle, your will is your “emotional” muscle. You can strengthen your will, the same way you can strengthen your physical muscle. You will to resist something can be strengthened by the Word, the strength of the Spirit, through prayer, through declaration and through constant practice.

For example :
I pray and say ‘God I consecrate my mind, my emotions, my desires, my sexual appetites, all to you”
I make a declaration stating that my mind, my emotions, my desires, my sexual appetites, are all consecrated to God.

Consecration in daily life:
1 Peter 5:8, Matthew 5:27-30

A, Stay away – if you don’t take the first bite, you won’t want another one.

B, Self-defense strategy – set some boundaries to protect yourself.

C, Amputation – if something sinful is on, deal with it severely. It may be painful for a time, but the wound will heal.

Double watch in moments of vulnerability – in moments of great crisis, or great triumph, in moments of depression, loneliness, pain, hurt, of great need, etc. you are vulnerable. Your reasoning is warped. What was once wrong, suddenly seems alright. You will is at its weakest. So be on double guard during such moments. Know when you are weak and(a) refuse to make any important decisions during such moments and (b)do not expose yourself. Satan’s deceptions are strongest during such moments. It is easy for a lie to appear as truth in such moments.

3, Power of The Word

Psalm 17:4 Psalm 119:9
The Word is like fire – it purifies.
The Word is like a hammer – it breaks the hard and difficult parts of me.
The Word is like water – it washes and cleanses me.
...and much more...

Application:

Using scriptures to guard your mind. Defend your mind against evil thoughts.
Mind Philippians 4:8, etc.
Women Matthew 5:27-30, Proverbs 6:25, etc.

I meditate in the Word concerning the area of my struggle.

I confess the Word.

4, Power of The Spirit

Galatians 5:22,23 (self-control) 2 Timothy 1:7 (self-control or discipline)
The Holy Spirit empowers me to have self-control or discipline, self-governing ability.

He gives me all the strength I need to master and manage my body.

Romans 8:1-13,26

Romans 8:26
The Holy Spirit takes a hold of together with us against the works of the flesh.

Galatians 5:16,24,25
A small prayer that I have prayed many times: “Holy Spirit, please help me.”

The Spirit of God is like fire – His presence burns up the uncleanness in me. So I ask for more of the fire of the Spirit to burn in me.

Don’t quench the Spirit.
Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit.

5, Power of Prayer

Prayer aligns your will to God’s will
Hebrews 5:7-9 Matthew 26:38,39,42

It is difficult for our minds to grasp the fact that the Son of God had to learn obedience. Yet the verses above reveal to us that the Son had “godly fear” or godly  reverence for the Father. In the Garden of Gethsemane, as Jesus was coming face to face with the sacrificial death He was to die, it was through the agonizing time of prayer and supplications with vehement cries, that He came to a point where He could say “yes” to the father’s will. It was through that intense time of prayer that His  will became perfectly aligned to the Father’s will even to the point of obedience unto death.

So also in our lives, very often, we may enter into a time of prayer where our will is not totally given to doing His will. And as we go through a time of prayer in the  Father’s presence, very often we emerge, having our will perfectly aligned to His will. We come from our time of prayer saying “your will be done”. Prayer helps align our will to the Father’s will, so that we are ready to carry out His purposes on the earth.

Romans 8:26,27
Through the deep intercessions of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit takes a hold of together with us against the works of the flesh.

6, Power of Declaration

Revelation 12:11
James 3:3-6 Understand the power of the tongue. The tongue is like a ships rudder, or a horses’ bridle.
Speak the desired outcome of holiness and purity.
Speak to your body declaring it as sanctified and holy.

7, Power of Positive Influence
1 Corinthians 15:33

The words you hear, the reasoning’s of those around you, their standards, behavior and choices – also influence you.
So have as role models those who are way ahead of you. Have as role models those who will challenge you to be better than what you are.