Romans 12: 1 I invite 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. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Being a living sacrifice, is the key in how we engage in heaven and the level of authority we have there.
When we truly worship God we are surrendered to serve him and his purpose in relationship not as slaves or even stewards but as sons. There is a difference when we do something out of relationship rather than doing something out of duty. God does not want us to be obliged to do anything. He wants us to be doing things out of love and out of desire.
So being a living sacrifice is living life voluntarily not under compulsion, legalism, bondage, obligation or expectation. God does not have an expectation of us. As soon as we feel God has an expectation of us, we will feel under obligation. And as soon as you feel under obligation it will become a duty, not a relationship.
Expectancy is different than expectation. Expectancy creates opportunities. Expectation creates obligations. When we learn how to live beyond the veil all we are going to see is opportunities.
We will begin to see things unveiled before us, we will see them as opportunities and we won’t feel obliged or dutiful. It will be here am I send me.
Expectation is not a bad word depending upon our mindset. If it becomes an obligation and a duty, it becomes a fear inducing thing. If I don’t then what happens? Then there’s the wrong understanding of the word, and it’s the wrong understanding of the word which is the problem.
God has desire because that’s the best thing for us because he loves us. As soon as you put obligation or expectation in there, it becomes linked to religious system of thinking which is not relational. God has a desire that we fulfill our destiny, because he knows that’s the best thing ever for us. But he doesn’t want us to do that out of obligation and duty.
And do not be conformed to this world. The word world means age, and Paul was referring to the age that he lived in. He was referring to a specific world not just the world in general. That world was a specific period they were living in- the transistion between the old and the new and the establishing of the new was still being opposed by the old. Paul was saying do not be conformed to the religious system; do not let them put you into their mold.
Be transformed, metamorphosed, changed by the renewing of your mind. What do we believe about ourselves and God and where does that come from? Because their minds needed to be renewed from the old covenant system. They were operating under the law. What are we operating under? We need to have our minds renewed so we agree with God. If we agree with God then we will actually prove what his will is. And that’s when we find our destiny.
Because when we come into our destiny it actually feels perfect. It feels like my life was designed for this, rather than I’m always seeking and trying to find something that brings me fulfillment. When we find our destiny -it’s like this is it! This is what I was created for.