Feature Article

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=82 BGCOLOR="#CC6666" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Woman of Grace Internet Magazine</B></FONT><B>     |   </B><B>  </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Woman of Grace Internet Magazine"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Feature Article</B>   |   <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Women in Ministry"><U>Women in Ministry</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bible Study "><U>Bible Study </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Graceful Parenting"><U>Graceful Parenting</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="From a Mans Perspective"><U>From a Man's Perspective</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Conferences"><U>Conferences</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="My Viewpoint"><U>My Viewpoint</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U>Links</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Guest Book"><U>Guest Book</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=398 BGCOLOR="#FFCCCC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Feature Article</I></div> <div> <I>Have a Beautiful Life for a Change</I> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Verdana" >by Sherry Green  </FONT></div> <div> <IMG SRC="12faebb0.png" border=0 width="686" height="443" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>       </div> <div> I want the best of all that God has for me.. I want His beauty to be seen in my life.</div> <bR> <div>       Having a beautiful life sometimes requires change.  A change of mind, a change of attitude, change of geography, or even changes in relationships.  Two sides to a coin, people crave change and yet resist it uncomfortably.  But, change for the better is a beautiful experience - a gift from God.  I can't think of anything more refreshing than the change that comes from accepting Jesus as Savior.  Jesus Christ's work on your behalf brings unparalleled change into your life when you believe in Him.  </div> <div>           </div> <div>      This truth alone, that Christ has cleansed away our sins brings the change we're looking for.  “You shall know the Truth, Jesus said, and the Truth shall set you free!"  We find the freedom to change and the change to freedom only in the Gospel.  Now we are running smoothly experiencing all the newness of the Christian life.  The fruit of the Spirit and peace of mind and heart abide.  Loving Him and giving our lives back to Him is now the only reasonable thing to do.  We run to God's arms for “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty!”  </div> <bR> <div>      But its interesting that immediately after the new believer experiences real freedom in Christ then comes this word from Paul in Romans 12:1,  “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God as your reasonable service.”  We could get frustrated with this verse if we don't understand it properly.  It would be confusing to think, "Does God expect us to give up on our new-found freedom and go back to exerting our own energy, working hard to become a holy sacrifice?"  No, in the two words "living sacrifice" is the key.  As we study this phrase together you will see God's heart to set you free and keep you free.  This revelation will bring a beautiful life change to you.  Read on.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>     </div> <div> I believe I'm a new creation in Christ... now do I have to become something else.. something more?</div> <bR> <div>       When I was a young Christian and first read about presenting my body as a living sacrifice this question entered my mind and maybe you experienced it too.  What exactly is required of a living sacrifice?  I wanted to <I>be it or perform it, </I>but I didn't know how.  It always caused me to wonder and think to myself .."I don't know if I can do this."  "Is presenting myself a living sacrifice something I need <I>to become for God</I>?"  Finally, God gave me the answer …  It is something <I>I already am </I>BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH in CHRIST.  </div> <div>       </div> <div>      God explained it to me this way.  Presenting our bodies a “living sacrifice” means presenting what <I>we have been made by God back to God. </I> Its not as scary as it sounds.  God's focus is on the word “living."  The word “living” comes first!  Usually the word "sacrifice" is what's emphasized.  Here lies the key to understanding what a "living sacrifice" is.  It's been God's plan for our future  since the Garden to give us new life.  We know that Jesus came "..that we might have life and have it more abundantly."  "You must be born again.."  shows more of God's provision to give us new life.  Paul said "To live is Christ.." and "its not I who lives but Christ who lives within me."  Over and over we see life being given to us through the New Covenant.  However, To find the perfect picture of what a <I>LIVING</I><I> </I>sacrifice<I> </I>looks like we turn back into the Old Testament to the book of Genesis where  Abraham was told by God to take his only son Isaac and sacrifice him as a burnt offering to God. </div> <div>      </div> <div>      Abraham went up with his son Isaac toward the mountain God pointed out to him.  "Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac's shoulders, while he himself carried the knife and the fire.  </div> <bR> <div> As the two of them went on together, Isaac said, "Father?" </div> <div> "Yes, my son," Abraham replied.</div> <div> "We have the wood and the fire,"  said the boy, "but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?"</div> <div> "God will provide a lamb, my son,"  Abraham answered.  And they both went on together.</div> <bR> <div> Abraham built the altar and placed the wood on it.  Isaac was bound and laid upon the wood of sacrifice.  Abraham lifted the knife.  But wonderfully, God intervened at the last second and  "At that moment the Angel of the Lord shouted to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"</div> <div> "Yes," he answered "I'm listening."</div> <div> "Lay down the knife," the Angel said.  "Do not hurt the boy in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God.  You have not withheld even your beloved son from me." </div> <div>    </div> <div>       At that very moment in time, <U>Isaac became a </U><I><U>LIVING</U></I><U> sacrifice</U>.  Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in the thicket, and sacrificed it instead.  Abraham named the place "Jehovah-Jirrah!"  God had provided His own sacrifice.   Friends, it's the same for you and me.  We are set free just as Isaac was.  Jesus was the sacrificial lamb in our place.  Jehovah-Jirrah means God provides.  <I>God provides the sacrifice!</I>  We are free to get up off the alter and live!  Like Isaac, our distress is over.  We can now live in a state of ecstatic release, knowing that life is God's decision for us.  </div> <div>      </div> <div>      Not only was Isaac given life, but all the promises that God had previously given Abraham became Isaac's!  A life of inheriting promises <I>became Isaac's whole purpose in life!</I>  <I>That is what Jesus meant when He said to us,</I> “I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly.”  So when it comes to presenting our bodies a living sacrifice we see that God takes care of the sacrifice.  We're free to live in Christ!</div> <div>    </div> <div>       <I>Live! </I>is the first thing God said to you.  You died with Christ on the cross and God said “<I>Live!” </I>when He raised up Jesus, and you were raised with Him.  Then the next thing Jesus said to you was GO! “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel.” I don't see any verses about laying around on the alter.  What a difficult way to serve God that would be.  Christ has already made us a <I>living</I> sacrifice by taking our place.  His atoning death has made us holy and acceptable to God.  See the change that comes from the greatest <I>ex-change</I>?</div> <bR> <div> So I see that it is not human effort, but His Grace that has saved me and created me anew!  Now I can spend my days in praise!</div> <div>     </div> <div>       God created us all as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable.  It happened two thousand years ago in Christ and it came into effect in our lives personally when we got saved.  Thank God we are not just a work in progress as we get around to working on ourselves.  We don't have to say, “I think Christ started this, but I must finish it.” We are changed by believing the finished work that Jesus did on our behalf and continuing in that belief each day.  “And be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel.”  “For <I><U>you are </U></I>God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus!”  God's workmanship is <I>Beautiful</I>. We already ARE holy and acceptable through the shed blood of Christ.  Paul encourages us in the book of Galations, “Let me ask you this one question:  Did you receive the Holy spirit by keeping the law?  Of course not, for the Holy Spirit came upon you only after you believed the message you heard about Christ.  Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?" Galations 3:2-3    </div> <div>   </div> <div>      Jesus is the messenger of change.  Believing His message is our job description.  It is our reasonable service. We believe we are what God says we are in Christ -  A holy, and acceptable, <I>living sacrifice.</I>  A beautiful change happens as we hold tightly to the truth of the Gospel.  And this change continues as we walk in God's mind set about us every day.   This is the “truth“ Jesus was referring to when He said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”  We've been set free to change and have a beautiful life because of Jesus the Lamb of God and our lamb ...  in our place.        Jehovah Jirrah - God provides! </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> I do have the best of all that God has planned for me.. He has given me the Gift of Life in His perfect beautiful Son, Jesus Christ</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Feature Article Archives"><U>Go to Archived Articles</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Woman of Grace Internet Magazine"><U>Back to Home Page</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>