A Living Sacrifice

I exhort you therefore, brothers, through the compassions of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. Rom. 12:1

Last Lord's day, as we had the church's service fellowship, the speaking of the Lord was so clear. For the church service and for the fulfillment of His purpose on the earth, God needs us, the believers. Without us, God has no way, and without Him we have no way either. On His part He had accomplished whatever was and is needed, but on our part, we have to cooperate with Him. 

As we pray-read this verse, the Lord enlightened me concerning the human part. On God's part, he had so much compassions (plural), on us; He chose us, selected us, redeemed us, forgiven our sins, purchased us, washed us, cleansed us, justified us, and so forth. What is required of us is to present our bodies to Him; not just me, an individual, but many of us; many bodies presented to Him. If our physical bodies were not presented to Him how can He make use of us? As we present our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice, we don't present a slain body to Him, we present a living bodies, unlike the old testament. The presented bodies (plural) become a living sacrifice (singular.) The footnote of the Recovery Version helped me a lot:

In Greek, bodies here is plural and sacrifice is singular. This indicates that, although many bodies are presented, they become one sacrifice, implying that, although we are many, our service in the Body of Christ should not be many individual services, separated and unrelated. All our service should constitute one whole service, and this service must be unique because it is the service of the one Body of Christ.

http://online.recoveryversion.org/FootNotes.asp?FNtsID=4010

And this living sacrifice is holy, sanctified by Him and is well pleasing to God. This is our reasonable service. Not a service of a bi sacrifice. Just the required and reasonable service.

Be burning in spirit v.11a

A presented body, a transformed soul, and a burning spirit — all three are indispensable to a proper church life. After we have presented our body for the church life, it is very easy for us to fall into the opinions of our mind in our soul, which results in our being damaged in the church life; therefore, our soul, and particularly the mind of our soul, needs to be transformed. However, once our mind is transformed, we may easily fall into a negative and dormant state. At that time we must be burning in spirit that we may be stirred up and encouraged to go on in the church life in a positive way.

http://online.recoveryversion.org/FootNotes.asp?FNtsID=4030

Serving the Lord v.11b

Serving as a slave! When we present ourselves to the Lord, we must just serve as slave. A slave does not complain, reason or argue. He just serves. Whether appreciated or rewarded, he just serves. This is the need of every serving ones. Its very possible to serve as a "master", or even as "men pleaser" serving before men, not only before God. A slave knows nothing, expect nothing, but just serves.

This is the timely speaking of the Lord today, at least, to the church in Gurgaon. Lord, make us all Your proper serving ones, to cooperate with Your heavenly ministry today.