When the apostle Paul tells I'd that we are to "offer your bodies as a living sacrifice" (Rom 12:1), just what is he really saying? How does one offer self as a living sacrifice?
To understand this call, we first must wrap our minds around the biblical concept of sacrifice, which is a far cry from what we tend to think of as sacrifice.
Sacrifice, in modern usage, normally means anything we do that is burdensome or costs us something in time, effort or money. We sacrifice part of our day to help a friend. We sacrifice part of our paycheck to a good cause. We offer some of our talent for a worthy project.
The problem is, however, biblical sacrifice is not something done partially. You couldn't cut off just one leg of your lamb and put it on the altar - sacrifice required you to give it all. Once sacrificed, you could not reclaim it, it belonged to God. Acceptable sacrifices were not leftovers or what one could easily spare - acceptable sacrifices were the best of your flock.
Here's the deal: to be a living sacrifice, your life is given to God in full with no expectation of reclaiming it. It is not acceptable to offer part of your time or efforts or resources, all are laid upon the altar, released to the Lord.
Your life is no longer your own to live and give here and there as you decide. Leftover funds or extra time are not acceptable - all you have and all you do are now to be used for His glory. "Whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord" (Col 3:17). How you talk, how you work, how you play, how you eat...is to reflect His glory. A sacrificed life is not your own.
Jus' Sayn.
No comments:
Post a Comment