Joan Boney
E-book: $.99
Paperback: $6.99
(USA Prices)
Order from: Amazon.com
*****
What are “Spiritual Sacrifices”?
I Peter 2:1-5 ... Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed (set aside) indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
*****
These "sacrifices" are when we refuse to allow our own flesh to do what it wants to do or to say what it wants to say ... sacrificing our own flesh ...
Gal. 5:19-21 ... Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
*****
Hatred is one of the works of the flesh. When we start taking offense with what someone has said to us or has done, we have to STOP and turn to God immediately in prayer, committing the offense to God, telling God we do not want to hate that person, asking God to help us in this "temptation" to keep us from falling into hatred against that person.
There are many time when a worker neglects to finish the job in a timely way around my house. Thoughts will come about this situation left undone and it will begin to build inside me to call the contractor and tell him "off".
But I do not want to fall into this fleshly way of life.
I turn to God in prayer, committing the problem to God, asking God to please keep me from yielding to my own flesh, asking God to help me to live in peace with the contractor.
It is God's help I need. And when I pray this way, God always helps me and keeps me from yielding to my own flesh.
Instead we go in way of God, doing what Spirit of God shows us to do and to say.
No matter what the fleshly temptation, when I turn to God and ask God to help me, I am helped by God and my flesh is put under the control of God so that I do not yield to my flesh.
Paul said of himself:
I Cor. 9:27 ... But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
*****
The only way I know how to keep "my body", "my flesh" under the control of God is to turn to God each time in prayer and ask God to help me.
When I do this God always helps me, keeping me from yielding to hatred or strife or whatever the flesh is wanting to do.
I can't do this of myself but God knows what I need to keep my flesh under control and when I pray, God makes spirit overcome flesh.
*****