A Living Sacrifice

Rom. 12:1-2

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

What does it mean to be a living sacrifice? How would it be accomplished? First, it is by the mercies of God. Only in His mercy could I ever come into His presence or be an acceptable sacrifice. It is through the blood and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross that God can see me without my sin interfering. I must keep the cross and Jesus' sacrifice constantly in the forefront of my thinking to that I never forget the great love and mercy of God. Secondly, it must be a spiritual worship, a total giving of my life and priorities to God. Thirdly, I must not be conformed to this world but instead love only the things of God not the things of this world. (The pride in possessions, the desires of the flesh, and the desires of the eyes) Going in a complete opposite direction, I need to be transformed by the renewing of my mind. How is this accomplished? It must be by saturation in the Word so that its unbelievable power can change me from the inside out. Once the Word is filling my thoughts, spirit, and even my fleshly appetites, then my mind can be renewed. Of course, all of this is done in the power of the Spirit. I am what I am only by the power of the Spirit who lives and dwells in me. Finally, I am a living sacrifice when I endure the testing that will surely come, enduring not in my own strength, not by having a stiff upper lip and using all the will power I have, but in the power of the Spirit. In His power I can prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. To be a living sacrifice means a total change in the way I think and approach life. It means total dependence and reliance on His grace to live each moment. It means praying through every mundane thing that I have to do.

Father,
Thank You for the blood of Jesus that covered my sin so that we could be reconciled. Teach me to walk as Your living sacrifice. Keep my mind and spirit constantly seeking You.
In Jesus name,
Amen