Living Sacrifice

Romans 12:1 - 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 am about to participate in a Bible study this morning. It's a non-denominational study and the leader has suggested we discuss Lent. Not to seem disrespectful, I have to admit the subject stopped me in my tracks. I had to question something I'd not thought about for many years. At our church we do not observe Lent.

That got me to thinking, why is it we do not? Again, I've not questioned this at all for the past 13 years! It just never crossed my mind. Our church observed Lent when I was a child growing up, not that I did, not that I even understood what it was all about so it didn't seem an odd thing to me years later when I no longer attended church when people talked about it. But now, in my "new" church, we do not. I asked myself, perhaps God, again, why is that?

The answer came quietly but soon it began to get louder in my head. Lent is about giving something up. People would discuss at work what they were going to give up, if they were going to. Some would give up chocolate. Others would give up television. Others might give up beer! It was all about giving up something that they enjoyed. Some were serious, others not. In other words, sacrifice...something of value.

Well, the word sacrifice naturally reminded me of Jesus who sacrificed far more than beer, chocolate or television, or more likely today, Facebook or the computer. Jesus sacrificed His life for each one of us that we may have eternal life. 

The purpose of Lent, I had to look up, is a time of reflection, repentance, prayer and even fasting in preparation for Easter, giving up certain types of luxuries. It starts on Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter Sunday. And then I read somewhere that it is not instituted in Scripture so it is not a requirement! But it is about sacrifice.

If we have received Christ, we automatically share in His sufferings, as Romans 8:17 tells us: and if [we become His] children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Sharing in His sufferings sounds like a life-long sacrifice on our part. 

When we are in Christ we are new creations. The old man has gone and the new man has emerged. Sharing in His sufferings then comes with our territory. We are in Christ and that comes with a message: to go and make disciples. These words came fast and furious:

Come, follow Me. Give up your old life and now be about your Father's business, as I am. I have commanded you to carry your cross daily, to be a living sacrifice. It's not about you anymore; it's all about Me. Your job is to reach others like I did, for My sake, for My glory, for their eternal lives. The job will not always be an easy one. You will be rejected as I was and still am today. But you are not to quit. You are to stand fast in Me and give your lives for My Gospel, for the good news of who I am. You will have to count the cost, carry your cross daily, as I did. It's no longer all about you. To be about your Father's will, about My will, you must expect interruptions, observe the hurting, reach out to the lost. That is being My disciple. I laid down My life for you; therefore, you lay down your life for Me. It's the very end result in your life, if you continue to follow, that will be the ultimate reward.

You see, it should not only be a 40-day period of time, once a year, but an ongoing commitment. If we are in Christ, we are new people with a new life and new values, a new purpose. We are to be living sacrifices each day, being prepared each day to speak the word of truth about Jesus if the occasion presents itself, being the salt and the light in this world. To speak the loving words of Christ and also the harder words of judgment because He loved…and also judges.

As 1Corinthians 6:20 tells us, we were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. The price was Jesus' life. We are to honor Him with body, soul and spirit, with our words. That's sacrifice, as He was our sacrifice. Hebrews 13:15 suggests--no commands--that we are to continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of our lips that confess His name. That sounds to me like being His disciples, keeping the truth of God's word in the airwaves or cyberspace. We are to be about the Father's business, keeping His Word in the forefront of our minds and deep in our hearts and souls…then as followers, share it. Share the good news of Jesus Christ, as it was once, maybe more than once, shared with us. Pass it on. Jesus' death was the ultimate "paying it forward." It is extended to all.

Resurrection day, as our church calls Easter, is approaching. Just as Jesus died for us, He arose and He is alive today in Spirit and in Truth. Hallelujah! He is our soon coming King, the King of glory. Are we prepared for His coming? Are we being a living sacrifice? Not that we physically give our lives, although we might be called to do so. But...are we sharing the truth of Christ? 

1Thessalonians 2:8 - So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.