The apostle Paul gives an
urgent plea to believers in Christ “to present your
bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to
God, which is your spiritual service of worship”
(Rom. 12:1). Paul makes such a plea based upon “the
mercies of God.”
We are objects of His saving
grace; therefore we are to put our lives at His
disposal. Paul uses the sacrificial word for the
Jewish Levitical offering of sacrifices. The body of
the believer is to be a “living sacrifice.”
How do you become a “living
sacrifice”?
It begins in a once and for all
being set apart to God. The Christian is set apart
for God’s use in the sense of being for pure and
righteous purposes.
Why such an urgent plea? The
philosophy of the world system does not satisfy. The
longer you life by the humanistic philosophy to
emptier your inner person becomes.
However, the will of God is
good, acceptable and perfect.
Being a living sacrifice is
often not easy, or pleasant. It is self-denial,
self-sacrifice, self-crucifixion of the whole
person. But remember the problem with living
sacrifices is they want to crawl off the altar.
For the Lord Jesus Christ being
a living sacrifice meant oppressive burdens. It
brought Him in conflict with evil. He offered
Himself as the perfect Lamb of God that takes away
the sins of the world. However, as He conducted His
Father's business He found it to be good and
acceptable and perfect.
A living sacrifice for Him
means He humbled Himself and became “obedient to
death—even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8).
The “living sacrifice” that is
acceptable to God is that which is well approved,
eminently satisfactory, or extra-ordinarily pleasing
to Him. The “living sacrifice” does not consist of
outward forms, merely external or material, but a
holy, well-pleasing, rational, agreeable to reason,
sacred service.
Should the disciple of Jesus
expect anything different?
Only spiritual things will last
through eternity. Everything else will burn up
(Matt. 24:35). Whoever “does the will of God will
live forever” (1 Jn. 2:17). Jim Elliott said, “He is
no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what
he cannot lose.” Jim gave his life in reasonable
service, to gain a spiritual inheritance that will
last forever.
How many of God’s saints have
died possessing nothing of earthly value, but a
living sense of “no retreats and no regrets?” They
were living sacrifices to the living God.
We are living sacrifices
because God is at work in us now. He is continuing
to work in those whom He has brought to a saving
faith in Jesus Christ. We are living sacrifices
because He is at work in us changing attitudes,
destroying destructive habits, forming new ways of
thinking that pleases God. God does not start a new
work and abandon it. He always finishes what He
begins. The only reasonable worship is to join Him
in what He is doing.
It is our privilege to glorify
God with our bodies (1 Cor. 6:19-20; Rom. 8:9; Phil.
1:20-21; Rom. 6:13). Therefore, Paul admonishes us
to present our bodies once and for all to God as
living sacrifices. A living sacrifice involves
yielding the body, mind and will to God.
It is a privilege to give God
our mind (Eph. 4:17-24; Col. 3:1-11) because He
wants to transform it by releasing His power from
within by using His Word. “If God controls your
thinking you are a transformer.”
It is a privilege to give Him
your will. It is not by will power that we are
transformed, but as we yield to the will of God that
His power takes control of us.
Is the “living sacrifice” worth
the cost? If we are living sacrifices we will not
look back at the end of our lives and be
disappointed or feel life is all vanity. We will be
able to hear our Master say, "Come, enter into your
rest."
We have only two options. We
can choose to be conformed to this world system and
its values or be transformed by the renewing of our
minds.
As a college student
fifty-seven years ago I concluded that being a
living sacrifice meant “all or nothing.” I am glad I
made that choice. I have no retreats and no regrets
as I travel toward the end of the goal. It will be
worth it all to hear Him say, “Well done, good and
faithful servant.”
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB." "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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