WHAT IS A LIVING SACRIFICE
By W. G. Guy
Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
First we need to understand what a sacrifice is! A sacrifice is an offering, that costs you something, which is presented to Almighty God, which honors and pleases Him. This sacrifice is also referred to as “your reasonable service.
We are familiar with the Old Testament practices of offering animal sacrifices to God. This involved the shedding the blood of an unblemished animal to atone for one’s sin. Those sacrifices require the death of the innocent animal. Summerly, a living sacrifice also requires death, but not of one’s physical life, but of one’s self-centered (selfish) life. Jesus stated as much when He told his followers what was required to be His disciple.
Luke 9:23 – And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
To “deny himself” means to deny one’s own desires, plans and objectives, (or lusts); and instead seek the desires, plans and objectives of the one being served - the LORD. This is further illustrated when Jesus said, “and take up his cross daily”, the cross being the symbol of death, And this is to be a continuing and ongoing experience; it is to be done “ daily”.
To be a living sacrifice requires a complete change in the way we think so that our thought processes need to be renewed; from serving self to serving others.
Romans 12:2 – And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The cost of being a living sacrifice is to deny the fleshly lusts of the self: no longer being self-serving or selfish; and instead, being one that serves others, as Jesus instructed, and later demonstrated to His disciples.
Matthew 20:25-28 – But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Note: to be a minister means to be a servant; to serve others is a function of a true minister. Notice also that in Romans 12:2 such a sacrifice is referred to as “your reasonable service”; emphasis is on SERVICE, which means to SERVE.
Why does it say in this verse that this is “your reasonable service”? Because you are doing it as unto Him, and He recognizes it! Jesus detailed this fact as He explains to His righteous ones at the time of the Judgment.
Matthew 25:35-36 – for I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
His redeemed ones were puzzled as He said this, and asked, “how was this possible”, to which He gave the answer.
Matthew 25:37-40 – Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
All faithful believers in Jesus Christ will appear before Him at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:9-10 – Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
How will Jesus assess your life while here on earth? Whom did you spend your time serving; yourself, or others, as in serving Him as His living sacrifice? What level of reward will you receive for being faithful?
Jesus gave us an example, even when it was to cost Him His life as He struggled with this in the Garden:
Matthew 26:39 – And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Jesus was faithful to His calling, as God’s servant to mankind, as He yielded Himself to the will of God, His Father. Are you being faithful as His servant, and doing His will? Or are you doing your own thing, even as a believer? Are you a minister of the Lord, or do you merely serve yourself? Jesus can only use you as His servant to the extent that you deny your-self and take up your cross daily and follow Him. Consider what Jesus said:
Matthew 22:14 – For many are called, but few are chosen.
Why are few chosen from among the many? Most likely it is because they did not deny their self and take up their cross daily to follow Him. Jesus can only use those to the extent that they do as He said. I know this is a strong message, but is what the Lord desires of you, to be as He is in this world as His representative.
1 John 3:1-3 – Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Every believer is called to be a living sacrifice, as explained in this article.
