Romans 12:1 - 2 (NCV) 1So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship. 2Do not change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.
Romans 12:1 - 2 (NIV) 1Therefore, 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. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
As we began the Gun season for deer, a number of years ago, one of the guys, I hunted with lead us in devotion about being a sacrifice. Truthfully, I did not think much about it that day or any other day sitting in the tree stand. The idea did drift through but have much impact on me at that time. Though it did work on me or should I say in me enough I wrote this piece at some point in the past. (Just found it in a desk draw as I looked for something else. The funny thing is God is again working on me in the same area; but that will me another post!!)
The person God used did not use this passage but spoke of the Old Testament sacrifice and how we were called by God to give a sacrifice, ourselves, for thekingdomofGod. This thought was dealing in me enough that it came out in the Bible Study I was leading as a Pastor of a small Southeast Kansas Church.
The concept that plagued me was (still is) “What input the Sacrificial animal has in being the sacrifice.” When I shared this thought with the church during the Bible Study I did so in the form of a question; “what input does the animal have in being the guest of honor?” kind of thing. The group could not come up with an answer.
In case you are having the same issue, problem; the animal has NO INPUT! The animal is chose, set apart to be the sacrifice and then KILLED DEAD!
God calls us to be a living sacrifice! Living in the sense, we are still breathing and walking on the earth. Sacrifice in that we are DEAD to OURSELVES; to OUR wants; to OUR Desires!
Prayer: Father, we give ourselves to you as a SACRIFICE; willing to be killed dead to ourselves; to our wants to our desires. LIVING to YOU; to YOUR want; YOUR DESIRES. Living to share YOU with a world dying in sin. In Jesus Name --- Amen
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