Living Sacrifice?

Hey blogsville…Yep, I know it’s been quite a while. So many great things have gone on…some of the more recent ones are the new I phone 4 (really cool phone), the amazing soccer world cup set to conclude tomorrow...With 2 of my favorite teams and so much more.

On a more serious note, I went through the exciting book of Romans last month and found a very interesting passage that was also reiterated to me yesterday in a new way. It’s one of those verses that we grow up learning as memory verses in Sunday school but rarely take the time out to get to the meat of it. The first verse of Romans 12 says…

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

I have often just taken out the word “Holy” alone from this verse, which means to be set apart. However there is more to this verse than that.

Another set of words that seemed often neglected by me is “Living Sacrifice”. How can you be both Living and be a sacrifice? It really doesn’t make sense. Sacrifices are meant to be dead. They are burnt offerings, usually animals. When Abraham was tested with his son Isaac, his intention was to burn him as a sacrifice on the alter he prepared.

My interpretation of that passage is that we must be dead to ourselves. We must nail our selfish desires to the cross. When we don’t feel like helping the helpless, going to God, Worshiping God, Giving thanks in times of frustration, we should nail our desires to the cross and do that which pleases God.

My new interpretation of that verse is…” I beseech you brethren; thinking about the mercies of God and all he has done for you, that you continually become dead to yourselves and your desires, taking on the desires of God, also setting yourself aside without sin, acceptable to God as your reasonable service”.