“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
Paul says “I beseech you”, or more accurately “I plead with you”, or, I’m “Begging” you.
Paul said “... to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.” The expression “living sacrifice” is set against the backdrop of the Old Testament sacrifices. While the Old Testament worshiper offered an animal, the New Testament worshiper is to offer himself or herself. Just as the people of Israel presented their animal sacrifices to the priests we are to hand over our bodies to God. We do this out of reverence to God for what he has done for us through his Son, Jesus Christ, we give ourselves to him.
If we know the Lord, this is the only reasonable thing to do. Nothing else makes sense. This is our “reasonable act of service” to the God who saved us.
“I beseech you, by the mercies of God” – what compels us to action? What leads us to give of ourselves? What lead us sacrifice? It is the recognition, the acknowledgement that we have received God’s mercy. Our response is to say, yes to whatever God asks.
We present our bodies, our lives to be holy and to please God…not in a way that is works for salvation, but as a result of our salvation. We do not just present our work to God…you can work for God and not present yourself to God.
The point here is not to present to God your bodies and not your mind or heart or spirit. He is going to say very clearly in verse two: “Be transformed in the renewal of your mind.” The point is to stress that your body counts. You belong to God soul and body, or you don’t belong to him at all. Your body matters.
Someone might think: Why would God be interested in my body? It’s overweight, or underweight, wrinkled, blotchy, achy, diseased, impulsive, nervous, unattractive, lazy, awkward, disabled, near-sighted, hard-of-hearing, stiff, and brittle. What kind of sacrifice is that? The Old Testament demanded a flawless sheep. I don’t measure up.
That kind of thinking totally misses the point. The sacrifice of our bodies to God is not a sacrifice for sin. That is done already in the sacrifice of Christ.
John Piper - Let every act of your body in living be an act of worship. That is, let every act of your living body be a demonstration that God is your treasure. Let every act of your living body show that Christ is more precious to you than anything else. Let every act of your living body be a death to all that dishonors Christ.
This commitment is an act of our will. It isn’t automatic. It’s a decision that you must think about rationally and then make. No one else can do it for you. You may have grown up in a Christian home. Perhaps you trusted Christ as a child. But as you get older and begin making your own decisions, you have to decide to give your body, your possessions, and your entire life completely to God.
It’s asking a lot isn’t it, but let’s recognize this truth: Jesus is worthy of our sacrifice. He willingly laid down his life for us, and in response we give our lives to Him.
Today’s Challenge: Lord, here are my hands. Lord, here are my lips. Lord, here are my eyes. Lord, here are my ears. Lord, here are my feet. Lord, here are my thoughts. Lord, here is my voice. Here I am, Lord. All that I have, I now give to you.
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