Living Sacrifice

In his letter to the Romans, chapter 12, the Apostle Paul writes, “I appeal to you… brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice…”

In Paul’s day, most religions including Judaism would offer burnt animal sacrifices: goats, birds, bulls. From a clergy standpoint, I am so glad they don’t do that anymore!

However, it was an act of worship. The animals given were not to be hunted – not found lame, but to come from a person’s own possessions. The offering had to be valuable to them. They were sometimes given as an atonement for sin, but other times they were offered simply as an act of gratitude.

Throughout his letters, Paul makes it clear: Jesus is now the atonement for sin. We don’t have to make that type of offering anymore, for by grace we have been saved. That’s done. However, there still is a kind of offering that is due. Out of deep gratitude for all that God has already done, present your body, your whole self, all that you have, all that you are, as a living sacrifice…

What does that mean? Well, over the next few chapters Paul spells that out very concretely. I’ll share just a few lines with you, beginning in verse 10:

Love one another…Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; offer hospitality to strangers….Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be arrogant, but associate with the lowly… Do not repay anyone evil for evil…

He goes on from there. Not that easy.

Richard Foster once said, “The problem with a living sacrifice is that it always wants to get off the altar!”

May you and I stay on the altar. May our whole lives, the way that we live, the way we speak, the way we treat others, may we be an offering of thanksgiving, gratitude for Christ’s love and generosity to us.

Let us pray: We give you our hearts, our minds, our hands, O God. Help us to love others as Jesus has loved us, to care for others as Jesus has cared for us, and to forgive others, as Jesus has forgiven us. We ask in his name. Amen.