By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo
Romans 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." - NIV
Worship involves sacrifice which demonstrates ones covenant commitment to what or whom they worship. There is no true worship without sacrifice. In the old covenant, animals were slaughtered and their blood sprinkled, and other material items were offered. But when Jesus died as the sacrificial Lamb of God for our sins, we no longer offer animals in worship of God.
We now offer our bodies and readily use them for God’s service. We also offer praises, declaring His wonderful works. We do all these using our time, energy, material resources, and our thoughts, words and actions. In other words, we use all that we are and have to honour, praise and worship God. Our whole lives therefore, are for worship of God. When offered in holiness, Paul calls it true and proper worship.
The primary purpose of our giving is to worship God using our substance. Moses told Pharaoh that they had to go with all their animals and belongings to use them to worship God. Material possessions are for worship and God’s service, and never for a show of power and might. And so are our bodies, the temples of God.
Romans 6:13 "Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness."
Proverbs 3:9 "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops"
Shalom children of God.