by Dave Brown
Ye often hear it said ...
“I earned it, and
it is mine.”
but Paul stated (Romans 12:1) ...
“I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable
unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
Several things are wrong with the “I earned it, it is
mine” philosophy. Among them:
Many people who state this did not “earn it,” but
acquired it through inheritance or luck (being at the right place at the right
time). This is extremely hard for most wealthy people to admit.
Even if you did “earn it,” it was by the gifts given to
you by God. What skill or talent do you have that was not given by God?
Since all that is good and beneficial in our lives is the
gift of God, all rightfully belongs to Him.
Hence, the apostle Paul states that the sacrifice to God
of all that we are and all that we have is our reasonable service. It is that
of a rational person who knows God and has grown up with respect to salvation
(1 Pet. 2:2). It is not given out of superstition in an attempt to manipulate
God and receive greater blessings on this earth. Nor is it the result of
senseless idol-worship, where we surrender our rational being to our emotions.
Instead, it is a recognition that God made us all that is good about us, and
thus, all of the glory must go to him. So, even our bodies, including all the
good that might come from them, will become a living sacrifice unto God as we
mature in Christ Jesus.