Romans 12:1
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.
What does it mean to be a living sacrifice? A sacrifice is giving up that which is precious to us. It's more than lent, it's given up to God. We give this sacrifice willingly, joyfully and obediently because we love The Lord that much.
In the Old Testament people were commanded to give God the best of their cattle and fowl: doves, lambs, bulls. But that blood only covered sins temporarily. So God sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die once, and for all, that all who believed God and received The Word--the gospel of salvation through the blood of God's precious Lamb--would have their sins forgiven and be saved.
A living sacrifice is when we give our lives over to God, for Him to live in us and us to live in Him through Christ. We greet Him first thing in the morning. Speak with Him throughout our day. Meet with Him in private prayer. Listen for His still, quiet voice to speak with us. We read the Holy Scriptures He has given us, seeking out how we may please Him that we might be, as stated in this verse, acceptable to God.
A living sacrifice chooses to do God's will and not their own. It's opting to live a life that pleases God instead of living for our own self-satisfaction. Sometimes the decision to obey is harder than you might think.
For instance, quite a few family/friend get-togethers are set up on Sundays. And people expect you to be there. In their mindsets, you can skip church for one Sunday, at least! But, no, you have made the decision to follow Christ. Your heart is in His and He is in you and you want to please Him and His Father more than you want to please your family, your friends.
See what I'm saying?
A living sacrifice makes the decision every day to be obedient to our heavenly Father. To be honest, I don't always sit here and begin typing right away. Takes me awhile sometimes to be in a position to hear the Spirit flow. Yet, there are other days when I can't stop typing because I'm not getting the words out fast enough. What a privilege to be used of God!
Have you made the decision to be a living sacrifice yet? If not what are you waiting for? God has shortened the days for His people who are suffering for His Name's sake. The lesser length of days means those who have not yet made a decision to believe on The Name of The LORD Jesus Christ for their salvation are running out of time.
Come, come to The Father. Confess your sins to Him and turn away from doing those things to following God's Way of doing things. The Word says to Repent and be baptized; be filled with His Holy Spirit. To do so would make you acceptable to God. It is the foundation for living a sacrificial life: having the Sacrifice of God living in you. As He lives in me, I long for more of my family and friends to know this Joy, too.
I want you to be in the body of Christ, too. Living for Jesus. Loving Like Jesus. Talking to Jesus. Walking with Jesus. I want you to know what a joyful satisfactory life this is. But you have to want it, too. More than life itself.
As God spoke to Isaiah in Chapter One verse 18: “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool."
And in Romans 10:9-11, 13
9) If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10) One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.
11) Now the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him will not be put to shame.
13) For whosoever shall call upon The Name of the Lord shall be saved.
I Surrender - Hillsong
Purify My Heart - Jeremy Riddle
All To Jesus I Surrender - Robin Mark
Let Your Living Water Flow - Vinesong
Psalm 40 - Francesca LaRosa
Not My Will - Kim Walker-Smith
Here's My Life - Planetshakers
