“A LIVING SACRIFICE!”

 Romans 12:1-2                          (ESV)

“A LIVING SACRIFICE”

“[1] 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. [2] DO NOT BE CONFORMED (To be or act in accord with a set of standards, expectations, or specifications) 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.”

DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD can be a difficult achievement, as a matter of fact, we need DIVINE INTERVENTION to accomplish this!  To surrender your body to the LORD indicates that we willingly giving up control of our lives to GLORIFY THE SON OF GOD, no matter the cost to ourselves!  Having SPIRIT OF GOD “lead, guide, and direct” you is NOT for the weak in SPIRIT!  It entails surrendering what we think are best for us to what the SPIRIT OF GOD “leads” us to do.  

“A LIVING SACRIFICE” is precisely what I am speaking about.  Yes, we are ALIVE, but we are SACRIFICING our wishes and desires for what ALMIGHTY GOD has chosen for us to become.  Doing what we think will be good isn’t always the CHOSEN PATH for us.  

Looking back at my life experiences, there are MANY times that I might have missed what GOD preferred to let me experience.  Of course, there are many times when I reaped the benefits of following HIS LEAD when the options left no other choice!  HIS WILL is ALWAYS best, regardless of what we are able to SEE!  To WALK THE PATH CHOSEN by ALMIGHTY GOD is always better than the path we think will be easier.  GROWING into a vessel that is USED to GLORIFY HIM is the ULTIMATE manifestation of being a SERVANT OF THE MOST HIGH GOD!!!

The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Rome “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.”  Later Paul was martyred by the Romans around age 66, after being delivered from death on many occasions.  He was a display of being “A LIVING SACRIFICE” for the GOSPEL OF JESUS!  Shouldn’t we also be willing to be “A LIVING SACRIFICE”???