The Altar? Really? You're Serious God



Taken from the Message Bible:

Romans 12 1-2

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life -- Your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking around life---and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit in without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention of God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

The Message Bible isn't my favorite translation, but I just can't get away from the way this passage is worded. It truly is that STEP # 3 point where you are brought face to face with a choice that has to be made.

Many simply don't want to choose and think that by not doing so, they are off the hook for the time being. They don't understand that by not choosing to surrender life and turn the focus of my will over to Christ, is only going to keep me under the bondage of my addiction. We have a million reasons why we can't make the turn to Jesus, but they all crumble and are left in a heap at our feet in the glorious light of His truth.

This choice I make isn't a simply nod of my head as accepting God.

It isn't a mental ascent that I have to wrap my brain around.

It is a heart-invasion by God's Holy Spirit, illuminating all the darkness in me with the glorious light of God's mercy and grace.

Who would not want that? Who would not want to be free from the legacy and history of addiction in their life? Praise God that it is more than a thought or concept. More than an idea or formula. It is life itself poured out on those who accept Jesus and what He has done into their life. This acceptance means that I turn the reins over and allow Him to drive. I simply follow. I bask in His love and acceptance of me as this Jesus grows me and stretches me so that I can be the man He knew I could all along.

It's scary climbing up on that altar of surrender. You feel so vulnerable and open to the world. Truth be known, it is the safest place a person could be. It is a place of trust as we let go of the old ways to embrace this new life Jesus is offering to us.
Go for it !

God on you....

mb