Sacrifice

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. – Romans 12.1

Romans 12.1-2 present, what I think at least, is a major key to what it really means to live the Christian life. There seems to have been an attempt to many circles to ‘soft sell’ the gospel – to make it sound like getting saved in the answer to all your problems, that once you are saved everything is going to rosy in the garden, and that you can just settle down on a bed of easy and ‘enjoy Jesus.’

We don’t tend to hear a whole lot about sacrifice. We don’t tend to hear the truth that salvation indeed comes with its joys and pleasures and peace and happiness and all that, but we don’t hear a lot about the struggles and the sacrifice.

Paul knew the need of teaching about sacrifice. When he wrote to these Roman Christians he ‘beseeched’ them. Paul was exhorting, them, extolling them, encouraging them, indeed begging them to do what he says next. This was important. It was vital. It had to be done.

But it isn't reliant on us. Paul continues, ‘by the mercies of God.’ If it were not for God’s never failing mercies we would be hopeless to do this task. We can’t conjure it up. We can’t just do what is required. We need to mercies of God to do what follows.

And what follow? ‘To present your bodies and living sacrifice.’ We sometimes say ‘lay it all on the altar.’ Have we given Jesus everything? Are we willing to sacrifice all of our lives to Him? That means we give Him everything, our hearts, our hands, our talents, our resources, our children, our lives, our ambitions, and our plans.

If we really trust Him we can do that because we believe that if He really loves us His way is going to be the best way.

And lastly – this is nothing but our reasonable service. And that service comes with the best rewards.

Elisha Hoffman penned these words in 1905 that I think do a marvellous job of summing up Paul’s instruction.

You have longed for sweet peace,

And for faith to increase,

And have earnestly, fervently prayed;

But you cannot have rest,

Or be perfectly blest,

Until all on the altar is laid.

Would you walk with the Lord,

In the light of His Word,

And have peace and contentment alway?

You must do His sweet will,

To be free from all ill,

On the altar your all you must lay.

O we never can know

What the Lord will bestow

Of the blessings for which we have prayed,

Till our body and soul

He doth fully control,

And our all on the altar is laid.

Who can tell all the love

He will send from above,

And how happy our hearts will be made,

Of the fellowship sweet

We shall share at His feet,

When our all on the altar is laid.

Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?

Your heart does the Spirit control?

You can only be blest,

And have peace and sweet rest,

As you yield Him your body and soul.