Living Sacrifice

UV 610/10,000 Living Sacrifice Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12 v 1 Since we have availed of God’s great mercy and grace, we must reciprocate by offering our bodies as living sacrifices. Under the Old Covenant relationship, the Jews offered dead animal sacrifices to atone for their sins and as an act of worship. The animal sacrifice was set on fire and burnt from the outside. But, as living sacrifices, we burn from the inside. Our thoughts must constantly be focused on the Lord and on pleasing Him. Sacrifice implies giving up something valuable for someone who is greater or more dear and beloved. Our most valuable possession is our lives. We give up the world and our former priorities of our bodily desires and lusts for the sake of the Lord remembering how He gave Himself up for us on the cross. As a living sacrifice, we must offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, constantly emanating from our hearts even as our breath emanates from our nostrils. The dead sacrifice of yesteryears would burn on the altar for a time but we burn for the Lord continually. Our meditation and our conversation, our desires and our actions should be holy and pleasing to the Lord. Whatever we think or speak or do will be a spiritual act of worship. The fuel for the dead sacrifices of the past were wood and coal. But, our fuel is the Word of God. It will stimulate us to worship God remembering different aspects of His provision for our salvation. The aroma that comes from our lives and deeds will reach the very nostrils of the Lord. The Lord does not revel in religious acts of worship. But, He enjoys it when His children willingly and continually commune with Him. When we live as if every breath of ours belongs to the Lord, we become a living sacrifice. As we offer this spiritual sacrifice, even the dead parts of our lives will come alive with the resurrection power of Christ. When the Lord is pleased with our sacrifice, there is no limit to the ways or the extent to which He will bless us. Prateep V Philip