LEARNING DAILY

 

Numbers 6:2, Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: “When either a man or woman consecrates an offering to take the vow of a Nazarite, to separate himself to the Lord,

 

The sermon this weekend was about Samson. The Lord told his mother that she would conceive, bear a son and the child would be a Nazarite to God from the womb. This was a divine appointment for Samson; he was consecrated (dedicated to the service of God), separated and dedicated to doing the work of God – delivering God’s people from the rule of the Philistines. Judges 13:24-25 tells us that the Holy Spirit began to stir within Samson, empowering him for the assignment God had given him. It is important for us to be reminded what the Nazarite vow included. There was to be no consumption of wine or anything related to the fruit of the vine; no alcohol. The hair of the head was not to be cut. There was to be no contact with a dead body. This period of time for this vow was usually short, perhaps a month in length; Samson was an exception to this.

 

Pastor Ed Newton went on to mention that Romans 12:1-2 is the New Testament version of the Nazarite vow. Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” The Nazarite vow was usually a voluntary vow by those who wanted to dedicate themselves to God; it was the action and decision of the person to give themselves to God completely. The apostle Paul made this statement to say those who have been saved by the Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and want to live for Him are to give themselves to Him in order to be changed from the inside out.

 

We live in a world that demands all people conform to what it wants us to believe, act like it wants us to and live our lives according to its standards. Our lives as Christians should be marked by living according to God’s standards – we act differently, we talk differently – and we do so by being a living sacrifice. What does that mean and look like? It means we present ourselves to be changed into what God desires us to be, to think like He desires, to dwell on godly things instead of what the world is offering. The Lord Jesus Christ made the ultimate sacrifice that whosoever would believe in Him would be set free from all the world has to offer – sin, worldliness, material things, greed, covetousness, ambition that puffs up our pride and desire to put ourselves on the throne of life.

 

We cannot do this by willing ourselves to become what God wants us to become. Instead, we willingly give ourselves to God to become what and who He desires. We allow the Word of God to transform our minds; we read/study/meditate on His Word allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us from what the world is constantly bombarding us with to truly walking on the narrow way into God’s kingdom. I cannot write often enough the importance of allowing God’s Word to change us.

 

The Lord Jesus Christ died for every sin we have committed and will commit. That cannot be used as a get out of jail free card. In other words, we cannot go on sinning and ask for forgiveness; our lives need to change. As we ask Jesus Christ into our lives, accepting His great mercy, He accepts our daily sacrifice right now. Do not be conformed to this world; it is passing away. Is there anything preventing you from presenting your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God and being transformed by the renewing of your mind? Can I encourage you to make this the most important task you do each morning when you get out of bed? I t is the only way to respond to God’s great mercy to us!