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.
—Romans 12:1
The Greek word for “present,” “paristemi,” means “to stand with.” A real presenting, consecration, means to stand with the Lord’s interest. To stand with the Lord’s interest becomes the secret of the one accord. It is the secret of your going on in the church life and the secret to your spiritual growth unto maturity.
Eventually, decisions need to be made. As a young man, will you stand with the Lord regarding whom you marry? In marriage, you make the decision, “I will marry a sister who loves the Lord.” Then the next decision is your career. Can you say that your career is for the Lord? You may be tempted to take a position offering a “great future” with lots of money in a place far away from the church life. With whom will you stand? Once you marry and have a career, eventually you will have children. Then your children come crying to you for things, for a better car and a bigger house. What would you say? To stand with the Lord is not at all easy. In your life, there are endless temptations and trials. Always ask this one question. “Am I standing one with the Lord?” To present your body means to stand one with the Lord. That will determine your life. If you stand with the Lord, the Lord will stand with you. If you stand with the world, the world will consume you.
Adapted from Oneness and the One Accord, pages 37-38.
Tomorrow: “The Lord Will Stand with Us”