Text: John 17:9-16
Key Verse: 1 Corinthian 6:20, “for God bought you with a high price. So, you must honor God with your body.” (NLT)

Anyone giving his life to Jesus Christ should do it personally, voluntarily, willingly, happily, joyfully, gladly and intelligently. I did not give my life to Jesus out of foolishness and I did not give my life to Jesus because I didn’t know what I was doing. I was satisfied by the Word of God that this is what God wants; this is how God wants me to live; this is whom God wants me to be and I now personally, voluntarily, willingly, joyfully, gladly and intelligently submitted myself to God. It is an intelligent move to give yourself to Christ so that you live for God here on earth and if anything happens tomorrow and the Lord calls you back home, you go and be with the Lord and the Bible says, so shall we ever be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

It is a personal decision to live for Christ and if you have not made that decision, please make it and if it is a half and half decision, don’t agree; surrender yourself completely — spirit, soul and body and let Jesus take control. Present your body as a living sacrifice. Many of the sacrifices are offered dead, but this one will be living because you are crucified with Christ and it is no longer you that lives, but Christ lives in you (Galatians 2:20).

You give your body as a sacrifice and you say this body belongs to God. What do you know about sacrifice? If you make a sacrifice with a goat and you say this goat, I am sacrificing it to God. Once you say so, the goat becomes God’s goat, the goat is no longer yours, you have lost ownership, you have lost every say, you have no say about this goat again, it is God’s goat, you leave it for God and it belongs to God. You can’t kill it to eat and you can’t be looking at it when it is getting fatter, but if you try that, you will be a thief because this goat now belongs to God.

Present yourself as a holy sacrifice. You have to make a choice not to live in sin; you have to make a choice not to walk in sin and you have to make a choice not to be identified with sin. It is your choice. Don’t say you don’t have the power to do it because you will always remember the Scripture that says as many that received Him, He gives power to them (John 1:12). If you need power, God will give it to you to be a child of God.

Make the decision and allow the power to flow from God. You can never worship God by your own power, you can’t and nobody worships God by his own power. We need the power from Heaven to come into us and empower us and enable us to live for God and worship God. But make the decision and God will supply the power. You will pray, “Father I am presenting myself unto you completely, take me Lord and make into whatever you want me to be. Give me your grace, that is where grace comes in and I will be able to live for you.”

Present your body to God as a living sacrifice. God is interested in your body. Keep it holy and acceptable to Him as your reasonable service and as your spiritual worship. If you give yourself to God as a sacrifice, you no longer own yourself, God owns you and God is completely in charge of your life.

•Today’s Nugget: God is the owner. Prayer: Jesus, I present my body as holy sacrifice unto You. Prayer lines: 08054477940. E-mail: servantofgod111@yahoo.com. Rev. Pastor Ejikeme Ejim, General Superintendent Assemblies of God Nigeria.