January 17, 2021
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Romans 12:1-2.(NLT)
How do you desire to serve GOD? Based on all the Blessings and Mercies He has provided, The Word of God gives us three Great Invitations in which to serve HIM! The only suitable response is to present ourselves to God as living sacrifices, ready to be offered up for His purposes, as He sees fit.
The three Great Invitations were instituted by God! Because God is a Gentleman and He gives us free will, He invites us to join Him in what He has outlined for us to do! I will refer to His Invitations as Mandates because they are major topics involving responsibilities that God expects us to carry out!
~ The Word of God outlines three areas in which we are to serve God. Sometimes they are referred to as “commandments or mandates” in describing three Invitations! These three mandates appear throughout the Bible as dominant themes. They are:
- The Great Creation Mandate has to do with the universe and its intricate and awesome richness. God made the world and placed human beings in it as its managers noted in Genesis, 1:26–31; 2:15. This creation mandate calls us to join with the Lord in developing the natural order for the benefit of all peoples. Currently, the creation suffers under a curse; however, God still loves it, and eventually, He will deliver it from corruption. Meanwhile, we are to use it responsibly for His Glory.
- The Great Commandment Mandate summarizes our relationship with our Creator. Because we are made in God’s image, we are mandated to love God with all that we are and have noted in Matthew 22:37–38. Christians especially have reason to love and serve the Lord, because of our exalted position as His adopted children. Moreover, our love for God should be accompanied by love for others in 1 John 4:7–11).
- The Great Commission Mandate is based on the truth that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son”, John 3:16. As Believers in Christ we have a mandate to declare this good news to lost sinners, so that they can respond to God’s gracious work on their behalf, Matthew 28:18–20; Romans 10:14–15.
RX: A NEW ♥️ HEART
“I’ll give you a new heart. I’ll put a new spirit in you. I’ll cut out your stone heart and replace it with a red-blooded, firm-muscled heart.”
Ezekiel 11:19 (MSG)
FATHER GOD: Thank You for Your Inspired Word! All three of these mandates are Your will. Help us to carry out all three. Help us to be good stewards of the earth and all its resources, good neighbors toward all the peoples of the earth, and good communicators of the gospel of Jesus Christ; in the Precious, Powerful and Preeminent Name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord, Amen.