Living Sacrifice

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

Being a living sacrifice is often not easy, or pleasant. It represents an attitude of 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.

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.

Is the living sacrifice worth the cost? Rev. James Montgomery Boice (Pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church since 1968, when home to be with our Lord on June 16, 2000) observed, “If we determine to walk in God’s way, refusing to be conformed to the world, and being transformed instead by the renewing of our minds we will not have to fear that all the end of our lives we will look back and be dissatisfied or bitter, judging our lives to have been an utter waste. On the contrary we will look back and conclude that our lives were well lived and be satisfied with them.”

As you consider your sacrifice, remember…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 (killed in Ecuador) 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.

We all need to consider our daily situation in light of this Scripture...