A LIVING SACRIFICE

ROMANS 12:1

A. "I BESEECH YOU, THEREFORE, BRETHERN BY THE MERCIES OF GOD, THAT YE PRESENT YOUR BODIES A LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY ACCEPTABLE UNTO GOD WHICH IS YOUR REASONABLE SERVICE"
  1. This plea by the apostle:
    1. Gives new and added meaning to our prayer life
    2. Because it is when we come to God in prayer that we present ourselves to Him in renewal and consecration
  2. How thought-provoking is this admonition:
    1. It shows conclusively that God claims all of us, body, soul and spirit
    2. That no dedication is complete until and unless it includes all of us
B. A LIVING SACRIFICE
  1. A sacrifice - what is it?
    1. An offering we make to God; Examples - Cain and Abel, both, brought an offering to God - Gen. 4:3-4; Noah and his family brought an offering to the Lord - Gen. 8:20-21
    2. A dedication of something to God that is precious or priceless; Examples: Abraham sacrificed Isaac to the Lord - the son he loved - Gen. 22:1-2; Hannah giving Samuel to the Lord - the child she had gotten in answer to her prayer - I Sam. 1:28
    3. Surrender of what hurts us, yet we give it willingly; Examples: a father gave his only son to the missions and there he was slain by bandits who ambushed him. When his father heard of the tragedy, he said, "If I had another one to give, I would give him to the Lord"
  2. Our bodies, so Paul says:
    1. Are to be presented to God as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God
    2. This presentation gives a new and very special meaning to our prayer worship - it is here where we lay our bodies on God's altar - make them a gift unto the Lord
C. LET US NOTE THREE GREAT AND SPECIFIC TRUTHS OF OUR OPENING TEXT
  1. Our relationship to God includes our bodies:
    1. They are, indeed, a part of the purchased possession of Christ - bought with an infinite price
    2. Writes Paul, "For ye are bought with a price, therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's - I Cor. 6:20; Rom. 15:6,9; I Peter 2:12
  2. God has a very special purpose with our bodies:
    1. They are to be the dwelling place of the third person of the Godhead, even the Holy Ghost - I Cor. 3:16-17
    2. Could we visualize any more important function of our mortal bodies
  3. Further more:
    1. God prescribes that our bodies are to be presented "a living sacrifice" - that means that they are to be healthy and vigorous and strong; God has in the past rejected a lame sacrifice and He desires that we are to be in good health - so that we can glorify Him to the fullest
    2. He wants our bodies to be holy - that means clean, separate from the defilement of sin - compare 2 Cor. 7:1-3 with Rev. 19:8; Ps. 24:4; Rev. 21:27
  4. This is why the advent message advocates:
    1. That Bible salvation includes all of us, body, soul and spirit - I Thes. 5:23
    2. That whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we do; we must do it to the glory of God. - I Cor. 10:13
    3. That when we abuse or defile our bodies we sin against our bodies - I Cor. 6:18
    4. It is on these grounds that we abstain from the use of tobacco or any other defiling and harmful thing
  5. So dear reader:
    1. When we come to God in prayer, we keep in mind that our all belongs to Him and that we daily present all to Him as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto Him
    2. This is the great objective of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord


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