Climbing On God's Altar Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: "Climbing On God's Altar" ------------- Date: 10/18/1998 Keywords: "commitment" "consecration" "mercy" "sacrifice" "worship" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation.   Passage: Romans 12:1 * 1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.   Questions 1. What are some of the mercies (good, undeserved gifts) you have personally received from God? Write down several. (You might take a few minutes at some point and read Romans 8 for a run down of some of the "mercies" Paul had in mind.)   2. In light of the mercies God has sent your way, Paul gives a strong exhortation here in Romans 12:1. Write down in your own words what Paul is urging Christians to do.   3. In the Old Testament, sacrifices all had one thing in common: they were all killed. What do you notice about the sacrifice being urged here in Romans 12:1?   Practical help Paul's model for how to lead a holy life starts with a consideration of the mercies of God. He does not start with an exhortation to exercise superhuman willpower. Instead, he gets us to thinking about the great things God has done for us - met our physical needs, provided redemption, sent Jesus to die for our sins on the cross, forgiven us, etc..... - and then offers a way to respond to those mercies. According to Paul, the best way to say, "Thanks, Jesus, for Your mercies to me!" is to climb up on the altar of sacrifice and offer a holy life to Him who gave Himself for us. Think about His mercies the next time you are tempted to view Internet porn! eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 1998 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."