The Flesh Cannot Please God

I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].    (Romans 12: 1-2) Amplified Bible

If you were on trial for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you? As a Christian are you transformed (a dramatic change in form and appearance) from the things of this world? The very first evidence in a true Christians life is being consecrated to God and the transformation out of this world. This is not a outward action, but it is the renewing of your mind, and a seeking to do the will of the Lord, not just some of the time, but all the time! The physical body of any Christian is Holy, and it must be set apart for the Lord's use and to be used for pure and righteous purposes. The Lord will only except a Holy physical body. Some Christians seem to forget that. Remember this: The Christian is a member of the body of our Lord. We are temples of the Holy Spirit, consecrated, and are devoted to His service.

What is a Christian's reasonable service: "Present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God"  When a Christian does not do this they will try to function outside of what the Word of God teaches. A person can never do this on their own. It is The Holy Spirit that does the work and makes the Christian what he ought to be.  "Those in the flesh can not please God" When a Christian trys on their own he, or she, will always fail, no matter how they try. The physical body of the Christian is the way in which righteousness or unrighteousness is carried out. Either the Holy Spirit is controlling your mind or Satan is controlling it. A believer's physical body and the mind is always the first target of Satan.

It is the life that is obedient to God and separated from the world that provides the proof of a persons conversion. If the Christian is legally cleared of guilt before God and obedient to Him, he no longer "belongs" to the world; the Bible no longer perceives such a person as being "in the flesh." As born again Christians we need to be thankful that we, as God's Children have a home waiting on us in Heaven. We should be glad that we will live in heaven some day in the presence of God. But for all intent and purposes, we are right now,  a pilgrim and a stranger living in a foreign land. We are just passing through. Our treasures are laid up some where beyond the blue! Heaven is a blessing and it will be great when we are there, but here on this earth we need help everyday with our walk with God. Romans 12:1-2 give us some insight and help into an area of our walk with God that we can never over look. These two verses tell us, through Paul, what God wants and expects from His people.

A living sacrifice means that we are to be on the altar wherever we are. Regardless of the location or were we are at, we are to remember that our body and all it is belongs to God. There is never an second in our life when we are out of God's view or all seeing eye. We are not free to live as we please like some Christians try to do. For us to be a living sacrifice it will require that our fleshly body does not live for the world,  but everything our body does is held to the teaching of The Word of God. We are to be God's vessels, here on this earth, through which He can live and work in this world.

The bottom line of all this is that the sacrificing of the body is not something a person only does in church.  Every thing that we do and every activity that our body has a part in, must be something to glorifies and honor God. We must realizes that God must be in absolute control of our will, our emotions, our passions, and the deeds and the thoughts of our body.