A Living Sacrifice to God
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1
To be a living sacrifice seems contradictory because sacrifices are usually dead. So how are Christians supposed to be living sacrifices? With sacrificial service, or worship, that is reasonable for someone who is genuinely grateful for what they have received from God.
The goal of presenting oneself as a living sacrifice is service. In Luke 1:74-75, Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, prayed that “we…. might serve Him with fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our lives.” That is a beautiful model of what it means to live as a sacrifice to Christ. Dedicated people do not wear the label; they demonstrate their dedication by going places and doing things for the cause of Christ. They act constructively as people committed to fulfilling Christ’s plans and purpose in this world.
We become living sacrifice when we are less sensitive to the things of this world, and more sensitive to God. When we actively reject the knowledge of this world and do not live according to the world’s standards.
Paul, whose life was drastically changed after his encounter with the Lord Jesus, and has weighed his life before and after encounter was pleading with the church and individuals to live their lives dedicated to the Lord. A living sacrifice, dead to the things of this world but alive to things of God, dedicating one’s life to God and service completely.
Consider this:
- How’re you living your life? Are you full of yourself?
- Are you living a sacrificial life?
Prayer: Father, I thank You for Your grace and mercies towards me. Help me to live a sacrificial life, presenting my body as holy and acceptable to You, which is my reasonable service to You. Amen!
Read: Romans 12:1-10