“Therefore, 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.“
Romans 12:1
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JULY 29, 2025
What does it mean to be a living sacrifice—and how do we become one?
Living sacrifices are holy to God, set apart for Him. In worship, we offer ourselves to be set apart. Other thoughts may cross our minds during a worship service, but we intentionally bring our consciousness back to God. The words of hymns and choruses are written to help us in this task. Corporate listening to preaching is an active learning process where we focus on understanding Scripture and applying it to our lives. This is not an onerous process of trying to concentrate, but an enriching experience of growth in both knowledge and practical Christian living.
Living sacrifices are pleasing to God. God takes pleasure when we offer ourselves unreservedly to Him. This should be our common practice as we come before God in worship. Communion is a remembrance of the broken body of Christ and the shedding of His blood for the forgiveness of our sin. How can we reflect upon the cost of our redemption without gratefully rededicating ourselves to His Lordship in our lives?
Presenting oneself as a living sacrifice is a long term commitment to self-denial. The most vivid example of this from human experience may be motherhood. Mothers are continually meeting the needs of their children at the expense of their own comfort, sometimes even their personal wellbeing. They rise early to prepare meals, and stay up late to have clothing and other essentials ready for the next day. Their days are filled with supervising play and dealing with the attitudes and actions of children. It is an exhausting and often thankless role that mothers play, but one that no home with children can do without.
What do mothers and living sacrifices actually sacrifice? The simple answer is self. There was a phrase I heard often at a Christian camp I attended as a youth: “I’m third.” The full statement was “God first, others second, and I’m third.” The first priority for living sacrifices is the Lord. He supersedes all other relationships and interests.
Secondly, living sacrifices are outwardly focused upon others rather than being self-absorbed. Their goal is to build others up by serving them and telling them the story of Jesus and His love. Who is happier: those who think first of themselves or those who are looking out for others? So what is sacrificed by living sacrifices? A selfish existence, devoid of true worship, and lacking in a eternal purpose.
Questions for reflection and discussion:
- What could being a living sacrifice look like for you personally?
- How does being pleasing to God as a living sacrifice encourage you?
- How could you apply the concept “I’m third” in your life today?
Church Reading Plan: Judges 12; Acts 16