A Living Sacrifice

I was thinking the other day about Romans 12:1.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” -NIV

What exactly is a living sacrifice, and what does it look like we aren’t following Him but try to offer something anyway?

Let’s determine and dissect the two main words in this verse for context, living and sacrifice.

What is living? Living is action of something that is alive. Person/Animal that as a consciousness, self awareness and independent thought process. In this case we’re talking about a person, so we add on that we are reflections of the Image of God as well as an eternal soul that’s destiny lies in the antinomy of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility.

What is sacrifice? For further context we deduce that this is talking about the burnt offering given in accordance to Hebrew law. According to Hebraic law the burnt offering was offered in this manner; a goat or lamb was selectively taken from a herd and brought to a priest for blessing. The priest would bless the animal and then slaughter it. The blood was then sprinkled on the alter, the remains were placed on top the alter and then set aflame. Now obviously the animal had no choice in the matter, the only reason is was chosen was because it considered spotless before the priest by it’s own genetic makeup.

So what makes a living sacrifice? Again we’re facing an antinomy paradox of having two wills – seemingly incongruent to each other – working in perfect harmony. The independent and free will of the living person and the chosen offering taken from the herd to be presented to God.

So the application of this ‘two truth paradox’ is to combine them and law it against holy scripture to see if it is true.

As Christians we are called by God out of the dead to become alive to Him. God has called and we have answered. We willingly (after conviction by the Holy Spirit, which comes only by God’s sovereignty) go before the alter, slaughter ourselves and place our lives on the alter to burned. Just imagine the position of literally killing yourself so fall down on a burning alter knowing there is no chance for returned and that all that resembled you is being destroyed.

Incredible, isn’t it?

I think too often in our daily walk with Christ; knowing we are called to present ourselves as living sacrifices, take up our cross and follow Him – we holiday wrap ourselves in a little box with a Christian label on top and give ourselves as a gift to a surprised and blessed God.

God does not desire gifts, nor blessings nor half offerings. In our best thoughts and desires apart from God we are like Icarus falling from the heavens with our wings of melted wax, or the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane; out with the swords ready to chop the evil people’s heads off. God desires a broken and contrite heart, because only then when we are truly broken and burned can He use us in a manner that is according to His good and perfect will.

I liken the final image of a burning, living sacrifice to that of the burning bush that God used to speak through to Moses after he left Egypt.

For a third time now we see this antinomy-paradox of an object on fire but not burning. In fact the Bible says that the bush was blossoming and bearing good fruit. Is this not how we are supposed to look to the outside world? Those of whom who are on the outside looking in?

A willing piece of creation, both fully burning and fully bearing good fruit, used by God to bring others into the Kingdom all in conjunction to His omnipotent sovereignty.

Building Blocks

This video of Paul Washer, probably the first when he returned to the US, is really what has inspired me to write and to constantly push myself in a deeper understanding of what it is to follow Christ.  To deny myself, to be in constant repentance of my sins, and seeing God’s grace evident in every step of my walk.

 

 

Yes I know it’s an hour long.  If you listen to any sermon…ever…listen to this one.