It’s All in Your Mind

I,. the superabounding grace of God, the position and practice of the believer, and then he reminds us of this quotation, "therefore." "'d. lu.,nJ,, ,µm ~ bn.J.Jtun." is not a command, a harsh ~hortation, or a great deal of pressure, but a strong urging based on that which was taught previously. This appeal is "fire '1Ullfll IJ/, .(J,od.,, Mercy is a heart action that causes something to be done. What does this appeal by Paul ask the believer to do? He asks us, "to present." This is our first key word. The word present is the word to 9ive, or a yift. It is that which is a necessary foundation for consecration. Now, you cannot consecrate yourself. All that you can do is present yourself. First Chronicles 29 tells us that David has gathered materials for the building of the temple. This temple is an interesting subject. The New Testament refers to the body of the believer as the "temple of the Holy Spirit."' So we can carry over a great deal of teaching from the temple ofthe Old Testament to the temple of the New Testament. In verses three, four, and five -we are given a long list of those items that David has gathered. In verse five, the question is asked, "70fu,. l.lun. iL mi.ll.i.nlJ b,. ~-.. ?" Here is our word present. There are a number of definitions for the word consecration. One writer says that consecration means, "to fill the hand." Still another says that a loose translation of this question is, "Who then is willing to fill the hand this day for service unto the Lord?" Still further, "Who is willing to come to God with his hands full, ready for service. with every faculty presented to and used for God?" Now you see Paul's word present He says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present yourselves full handed, with every faculty ready to be used by God," It is interesting that the Old Testament temple would never have been erected if someone had not volunteered. And so there will be no rene-wed minds until believers voluntarily present their bodies. What a volunteer group of workers David records! Many believers are fearful of presenting their bodies to God, because they are sure God will ask them to serve full time as a missionary, or a pastor, or a teacher, or a Christian worker. All the believer can do is present. It is God who consecrates, and He has guaranteed that He will do so. God asks you to act in regard to consecration by voluntarily giving as a gift something that is very personal to you-your body. This is the best gift we can give because our bodies are the actions and ei<pressions of our character. Without changing the thought of our translation, read carefully, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, which will be holy and acceptable unto God, and your reasonable service." To whom do you present your body? This is the key to the renewed mind. First of all, God does not need your body; He is in heaven. Christ does not need your body because He has a glorious body. Now we have only one person of the trinity left. Who needs your body? The Holy Spirit does. This verse has nothing to do with receiving the Holy Spirit or inviting the Holy Spirit into your life. This was explained in Romans 8:9. The Holy Spirit indwells the body of the believer by right of salvation and the right of redemption. But the Holy Spirit is seeking the believer's body as His literal temple for use. The word renew means to chan9e. You find this 38