Rom. 12:1 – 2
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.
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.
Some few thoughts come out of a meditation on these verses. One of which is, living as ‘a living sacrifice’ is a deliberate choice one has to make. Another one is, to live as ‘a living sacrifice’ is by the mercies of God and never a function of your personal struggles. Yet, another thought is, a body that has to be presented as ‘a living sacrifice’ must meet God’s demands of holiness, acceptability and be a service. Having done all these, you must not become conformed to the world standards, rather continually become transformed from inside to outside. The result of all these is, you will then be able to establish what is that good and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
HOW TO BE A LIVING SACRIFICE:
“How is the body to become a sacrifice? Let your eye look upon no evil thing, and it has become a sacrifice; let your tongue speak nothing filthy, and it has become an offering; let your hand do no lawless deed, and it has become a whole burnt offering. But this is not enough, we must do good works also; let the hand give, the mouth bless them that despitefully use us and the ear find leisure evermore for the hearing of Scripture. For sacrifice can be made only of that which is clean; sacrifice is a first fruit of other actions. Let us, then, from our hands, and feet, and mouth, and all our other members, yield a first fruit unto God” (St. Chrysotom).
The idea contained in sacrifice is that of dedication. We are to dedicate our bodies to God. But there is to be this distinction between the old Jewish sacrifices and the Christian sacrifice: the one was of dead animals, the other of the living man. The worshipper must offer, or present, before God, himself, with all his living energies and powers directed consciously to God’s service.
It is also pertinent to note that what God expects from you as a sacrifice are the components that make up your body. Your eyes, mouth, ears, nose, head, feet, hands, etc. When you would have succeeded in offering all these, then you begin to become God’s own property that He can take and make use of.
LIVING SACRIFICE ON CAMPUS
Romans 6:13-20
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
Young man and young woman, your members that were yielded unto sin is the reason you have remained in great bondage unto this moment. Your eyes that are glued to pornography and all forms of indecency, will certainly take you to an eternity without Christ, except you allow Christ to deliver you from that. Why won’t you offer those eyes to your Creator who has put a demand on you in that regards? God had to divinely help Samson to lose his two eyes in order to come back to his senses and cry to God for help. Why must you wait until the deed had been done before you will remember your creator? Yield those eyes, those ears, that mouth, those strong legs, those active hands and that blessed sharp brain, unto God. Let all these members of your body become instruments of righteousness unto God. Then will you pass through the youthful age without any regret in life.
For how long will you remain a servant of sin and Satan? This wicked taskmaster called Satan is looking for an opportunity to silence you permanently in this life and in the hereafter. The gospel of “it doesn’t matter” is from him and is aimed at depriving you a place in heaven. Friends, why then are you still sticking to those “fellowship groups” whose message endangers your soul? They offer you liberty but only to enslave you in sin, yet you are not seeing the grave danger ahead of you. Remember now your creator, while it’s not too late and repent fervently, so that when the Lord returns, you will not hear the saying: depart from me you worker of iniquity.
The company you keep, the associations you belong to and the so-called spiritual groups you are a part of, have not helped you to grow into becoming like Christ. Come out from among them and be ye separate says the Lord, then will He accept you and help you to live the living sacrifice life. This is the life that He can take and make use of as a living sacrifice. The greatest mistake you can make in this regard is to continue in your mistake, whereas help has come your way.
CONCLUSION
Daniel 1:8-20
8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.
10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.
11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.
13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.
14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.
15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.
16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.
17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
18 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.
19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.
20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.
Friends, it will take a purposing in your heart to live this life of a living sacrifice like Daniel and his friends did, if you will ever succeed. They were deliberate and focused, not minding the temptation coming from the King’s table. For them then, eating those delicacies amounted to defilement and a loss of focus completely. They therefore decided to trust God and hold unto Him in all things, eating what was not attractive to young people like them. The result of their consecration and dedication was very glaring to all. They were ten times better than their colleagues in every matter. That is the doing of the Lord.
May I invite you like Daniel and his friends to venture into this life time practice of living your life as living sacrifice for God? Certainly, your testimony cannot be less than theirs. Bow your heart and ask for grace to start right now. Don’t delay again, because, delay is dangerous. May He help you, Amen.