What exactly stirs us to live sacrificially committed lives for Jesus Christ? That’s a question answered in dozens of ways. Some would say we must work hard. Others would say we must sell everything we own. Others measure that by church attendance, and still, others measure it by good deeds.
I think the answer I suggest may surprise you. We grow deeper in our surrendered lives by faith. Yes, by believing God at His Word. We choose every day to believe God has the power to raise us up and use us. We choose to believe God keeps His promises. We obey at the moment, leaving the results to Him.
Romans 12:1–2 (NLT) “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
To the Roman believers, Paul pleads with them to live a holy, separated, acceptable life to God. He begs them to respond to the love of God through surrender. He doesn’t tell them to clean up their act so God will accept them or to be perfect before we obey.
He encourages us to think of God’s mercies and worship Him by the offering of our whole lives.
So what exactly is a living sacrifice? If you were to go to a Jew in that day and ask them to offer a living sacrifice, they wouldn’t have any idea what you were saying. The thing they would think of would be a burnt offering and burnt sacrifice where an animal that fully consumed on the altar.
A living sacrifice is one that comes freely, willingly, and ready to respond to the direction of God. Give yourself entirely to Him today, friend. Right now.
“I appear to you therefore brethren and beg of you in view of all the mercies of God, to make a DECISIVE DEDICATION of your bodies (presenting all your members and faculties) as a living sacrifice…” Amplified Bible
