By the mercies of God!


Some thoughts on today's sermon at Legacy Baptist Church.

Romans 12:1

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

"By the mercies of God" - it is by His mercies that we have the power, will, and desire to obey and offer ourselves. It is impossible to do so through our own strength and effort because in ourselves there is nothing that can make us holy enough to be an acceptable sacrifice.

God's mercies are two-fold. We do not get what we deserve, and we are given what we do not deserve.

Because of our sinfulness, we deserve death. But God does not give us what we deserve - He gives us life.

Because of our sinfulness, we do not deserve salvation. But God gives us what we do not deserve - rather than the damnation that we do.

One note from today's sermon sums it up beautifully:

"On the cross, God treated Christ as if our sin and guilt belonged to Him.
Because of the cross, God treats us as if Jesus' perfect life belongs to us."

Our sin was laid upon Christ at the cross, and Jesus' righteousness was laid upon those of us who repent and believe.

So, what reason do we have for offering ourselves up as living sacrifices? What makes us think we could ever be acceptable to a perfect and holy God? Why would we ever consider such service to be reasonable?

In a word, Christ!

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