Springs Sermon 2023-02 (1)

Romans 12:1-2
Psalm 139:13-18
1 Corinthians 6:9-20

Why is your body important to God?

  • God made you special (unique)
  • You are not inferior; your hair type is not inferior; your skin colour is not inferior!
  • Your body belongs to God
  • Your body is your greatest instrument of worship
  • Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit – it is holy unto God
  • Your body is of great spiritual value!
  • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Romans 12:1-2

What is a sacrifice?

  • Something of value that is given away
  • In the OT, animal sacrifices to God are usually killed and burnt completely on the altar

What is a living sacrifice according to Romans 12:1-2?

  • You are alive but totally yielded to the Word and the Spirit of God
  • You are the custodian of your body but not the owner
  • You are not your own – you cannot do as you like!
  • A presented body (i.e. living sacrifice) does the will of the Father, Hebrews 10:5-7, Matthew 7:21, 12:50

How can I present my body well unto God?

  • You need humility, James 4:7
  • You need to pursue holiness, Hebrews 12:14, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
  • You need to sacrifice worldly lusts and pride, 1 John 2:15-17
  • You need to serve God with your time, energy, skills and money
  • You need to practice moderation in all things, Philippians 4:5

What is moderation?

  • Moderation is being modest and moderate in the promotion and indulgence of self – it is an expression of consecration and humility 
  • Don’t overfocus on the promotion, decoration, marketing or indulgence of self, Galatians 2:20
  • Avoid excesses and extremes
  • Don’t allow entertainment and relaxation to dominate you
  • Don’t allow makeup or jewellery to dominate you, 1 Timothy 2:9-10, 1 Peter 3:3-4
  • Minimise extravagance which reflects pride – this applies to your hairdo, ornamentation, dressing and packaging
  • Focus on God-esteem rather than self-esteem
  • Try not to become artificial – God made you original and beautiful already
  • You don’t need body-piercings or tattoos in order to look beautiful or feel good about yourself
  • If you already have extra body-piercings, don’t use them
  • If you already have tattoos, don’t flaunt them
  • Avoid excessive adornment, effeminate adornment and extreme adornment

What does it mean to be effeminate according to 1 Corinthians 6:9 KJV?

  • Effeminate – a man presenting like a woman or a woman presenting like a man
  • If you are a believing man, do not try to present like a woman – you don’t need to relax, braid or weave your hair or wear any earrings – it’s a promotion of self (pride of life) and a perversion of masculinity
  • If you are a believing woman, do not over-decorate yourself like Jezebel and Babylon – you don’t need to wear massive or more than one set of earrings – it’s a promotion of self (pride of life)
  • 1 Timothy 2:9-10, Revelation 17:1-6, 1 John 2:15-17

To find out more, listen to the audio sermon