Your Spiritual Act of Worship

Your Spiritual Act of Worship
We so often hear people talk about worship. Some people consider worship as a time of the week. Some people consider it only as something they do on Sunday. Others view it as a lifestyle. So what does it mean in Romans chapter 12 when Paul speaks about your “spiritual act of worship”? To completely understand this concept, we must first look at what Paul discusses just prior to chapter 12, which is the subject of God’s mercy. In chapter 11, Paul discusses the history of the people of Israel. In this chapter he talks about how Israel’s stumbling made way for the salvation of the Gentiles. But in this rebellion, he still found a remnant in Israel and spared the nation from total destruction. God was able to use even the wrongdoings of His chosen people to draw the Gentiles to himself. At the end of chapter 11, Paul has one of my favorite doxologies of praise to the Lord:
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths
beyond tracing out!
Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been His counselor?
Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.
To Him be the glory forever! Amen!
Romans 11:33-36
Paul then proceeds to the subject of being a living sacrifice. He starts chapter 12 with the idea that in order to fully understand our obedience to our Holy God, we must view ourselves in light of God’s mercy. We should be living sacrifices because of the fact that we deserve eternal separation from God. Even though this it what we deserve, the Lord has had compassion and mercy on us and allowed us to serve Him. We should seek holiness and the smile of God. “This is your spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1).” The “spiritual act” is not merely a ritual activity, but instead it involves the heart, mind and will. It is an act of obedient service. This passage always reminds me of the famous hymn we all love “When I survey the Wondrous Cross.”


Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small:
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my ALL.

With His Song, Aaron