Set Yourself Aside for God’s Purposes

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1,2—NIV)

One of the greatest of the needs confronting us Christians is that of guiding the believers to the area of service God has for them.

Prior to the Protestant reformation it was generally agreed that the priests would officiate at the altar and the people would assemble and participate as they were directed. There was a considerable gap between the priesthood and the laity.

Since the Reformation the concept of the clergy and the laity has continued, because it is kind of a natural arrangement. It is obvious there must be people in charge of the assembly. Also, church government appears to proceed on a more effective basis when one person is regarded as being the final decision maker.

So it is understandable, since the senior pastors are often full-time employees of the church, that the believers give their spiritual proxy to the pastors.

It is time now for the Body of Christ to grow to maturity, and since the Body cannot grow to maturity apart from the gifts and services of all the members of the Body, we must begin to encourage the believers to discover and operate that which the Spirit has given them.

We know from the Scriptures that the Spirit of God has given a gift or ministry to every member of the Body. No part of the Body is without a designated function.

There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (I Corinthians 12:6,7—NIV)

It is obvious, just as there is no part of the human body that has no purpose, that there is no part of the Body of Christ that has no purpose, no function—nothing to contribute to the growth and well-being of the Body.

But because of the concept of the clergy and laity, many, if not the great majority, of Christian believers who are not professional ministers do not regard themselves as being on the same level as the clergy.

And because of the richness of the American culture, the demands it makes on us for material survival and prosperity, we often are quite content to let the clergy perform their spiritual work while we attend and pay the bills.

The day for this arrangement is over. Every believer who intends to be part of Jesus Christ must find his or her role and begin to function. Obviously this change in role expectation is not going to take place overnight.

It is with the full operation of the members of the Body of Christ in mind that Paul wrote the following words:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1,2—NIV)

The above passage tells us the first steps to take toward finding and operating the role the Holy Spirit has equipped us for and expects us to perform.

To correctly orient ourselves to our ministry we must decide once and for all that our body will be a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is merely the reasonable act of worship that every Christian must render to God.

We simply must set ourselves aside for God’s purposes. If we do not we will be viewed as a servant who has buried his talent. Our end will be residence in the outer darkness.

We are no longer a part of the world system, the world spirit. We must make certain we are not conformed to the ways of the world. What this means to the individual believer must be worked out between him or her and Jesus. So many Christian believers of today are worldly! They do not look or act like Christians. They have been taught that God is not concerned about our outward appearance, how we look or act.

But He is!

We are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. The battle today is for the mind and for truth. Satan cannot harm us when we belong to God unless he can deceive our mind such that we walk out from under God’s protection.

Our mind is renewed as we take the ten steps we are elaborating, such as setting aside a place and time for prayer each day; meditating in the Scriptures continually; placing everything on the altar of God; and so forth.

We are being transformed in personality as our mind is being renewed, and this is why Satan is so anxious to fill our minds with his ways, particularly the minds of the young people.

Some time ago the motion picture "The Titanic" was popular. As pastor of the church, I warned the congregation that this picture was just another worldly influence and it was to be avoided.

There were people who did not understand my concern because The Titanic did not portray the violence and lust of many other films. And it did have historical interest!

I saw immediately that Satan’s plan was to present a picture that was not as bad as some and had historical interest. Then the Christian parents would agree to allow their young people to view it.

Satan succeeded very well because the majority of Christians are asleep spiritually. There were scenes in The Titanic which decidedly are of the present world. They renew the mind in the wrong direction. Satan, being a very wise creature, is often content with small gains knowing they will lead to greater victories for him in the future.

The American mood of today is such that if there is only a little profanity in a film it is acceptable. There should be no profanity whatever in anything Christian young people watch, and no lust, violence, witchcraft, or drunkenness. All these are part of Satan’s way of life. Can you imagine the Lord Jesus Christ or His Father or the Holy Spirit or the elect angels watching and enjoying profanity, lust, violence, witchcraft, or violence?

If a thing or experience does not cause Christ, the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the elect angels to rejoice then we have no business participating in it.

If you believe otherwise you do not understand Paradise or the Kingdom of God. You have been deceived by the backslidden churches of America.

Do you expect to watch Hollywood programs in Heaven? Of course you do not because you know such behavior is not suitable. If you expect to have peace in the Paradise of God, do not behave in a manner that is more typical of Hell.

We cannot possibly test and approve what God’s will is until we have been transformed by the renewing of our mind. The reason most American Christians do not know their place of service in the Kingdom is they have not been transformed by the renewing of their mind. Their mind still is conformed to the American culture.

Paul goes on to say:

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. (Romans 12:3—NIV)

God has given each one of us a measure of faith for ministry. We are not to be lazy and bury our talent; neither are we to be presumptuous and attempt to launch ourselves forth as "God’s man of faith and power." We are to appraise our situation as objectively as we can and serve the Lord with the abilities He has given us.

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (Romans 12:4,5—NIV)

We need to think more about the Body of Christ and less about the numerous denominations and churches that dot the countryside in America. My wife and I pastor a denominational church and recognize the value of such. However, above and beyond our churches and denominations there is the Body of Christ, the Wife of the Lamb, the one Kingdom of God, the Christian Church. All true Christians are members of the one Body, the one Church. We form one body and each of us belongs to and is part of all the others.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; (Romans 12:6,7—NIV)

Notice how the term "grace" is employed in the above verse. Divine grace includes much more than forgiveness. Divine grace is the Presence of God in Jesus Christ to enable each believer to attain the fullness of salvation.

We each have a gift. Whatever our gift is we are to use it in proportion to the faith God has given us, not falling behind or pushing ahead of our proper role in the Body.

In some churches there is a presbytery that prophecies over people and lays hands on them, in this manner helping them to discover and operate their gifts. This procedure is scriptural and I have seen it used many times.

But I have noticed that if the individual does not present his or her body to God as a sacrifice, and live as a cross-carrying disciple, the prophecies are not fulfilled in them. The word spoken over them was true but they did not do their part.

The penalty for not using what has been given us by the Holy Spirit is severe.

For some of us it will mean a change in our customary life style if we are to take the time to find out the role we are to play in bringing the Body of Christ to full maturity.

Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:13-16—NIV)

It unquestionably is true that if the Body of Christ is to come to maturity, then each member must contribute his or her part to the process. The Body is not mature in the present hour, due in part to the absence of the gifts and ministries that are resident but not functioning in the believers.

We know from the Scripture that when the Lord returns we will be held accountable for the use of our talents. If we do not use our talent it will be removed from us and given to another who has been more diligent. Then we ourselves will be driven into the outer darkness. This is clearly the Word of Christ and we are foolish indeed if we allow ourselves to be talked out of it by "every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming."

Who are these who would deceive us in this manner? Is it not self-serving ministers who worship their own belly? This was the case in Paul’s day!

God will not pardon us because the ministry has deceived us with soft words. He will ask us why we did not test those who claimed to be ministers of Christ.

We understand all this is true. But what do we do about it?

We set ourselves aside for God’s purposes, even though it means a radical change of our life style.

"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel Will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life." (Mark 10:29,30—NIV)

I am speaking now to the ordinary believer, the ordinary church member.

You and I must be prepared to leave all with which we are familiar, if it comes to that, in order that we may do what God has called us to do.

Your contribution is as important as mine. I have had to set myself aside to do what God has called me to do, and so do you. I am a public-school educator by profession. God made me know I was to leave my profession and teach what He has shown me. This I have done and God has supplied all my needs.

If I have helped even one person to walk in the ways of righteousness I will count my life to have been spent well.

The profession of education is always learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth. I am glad I left it because I can see the eternal value of what I am doing. Hopefully many will be able to stand in the coming spiritual darkness because of my efforts in the Lord.

I desire for you the same move into that which is genuinely worthwhile. Will you do it?

If you are to stand and help your loved ones and other to stand in the spiritual oppression of the future you must:

Set aside a time for prayer each day.

Meditate in the Scriptures continually.

Place everything on the altar of God.

Live in and by Christ.

Put on the whole armor of God.

Learn to live in the heavenlies.

Confess and renounce your sins promptly

Refuse to fret.

Look only to Jesus.

Set yourself aside for God’s purposes, for Christ and His Gospel.

None of the ten practices I have set forth can be omitted without endangering your future and the future of those who trust in you.

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