a living sacrifice

Sacrifice is a word that has no cultural relevance today. But to first century Jews it was a vivid reminder of the price of their sins. Imagine if every time you thought a lustful thought, or told a little white lie, or committed some other seemingly innocuous, victimless sin, you had to take a spotless, innocent lamb from your flock, the best of your flock, and bring it to the priest and watch him slit his throat and burn it on the altar for atonement for your sin. Bet you would kind of think twice about willfully sinning next time, wouldn’t you?

Two thousand years later we no longer have any concept of sacrifice, and as a result we don’t really much of a concept of sin either. Somehow we got the idea that Jesus died for our sins, but now we have this grace thing that gives us the freedom to do anything we want without remorse, or guilt, or concern. After all, it didn’t cost us anything. But the price of sin has never changed. The wages of sin is death, and without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. So somebody has to die for that “minor” indiscretion. Somebody has to pay with their life for my rebellion. Grace isn’t a license to sin, it’s having my sins paid for by taking a perfect Lamb, and strapping Him to an altar and torturing Him to death as atonement for my sin. I bet if we got a picture of that we would think twice about willfully sinning next time, wouldn’t we?

So then, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How can we who died to sin continue to live in it? Salvation isn’t just about deliverance from the penalty of sin, but it’s about transformation to live a life for God. Understanding His sacrifice should produce a response from me – my sacrifice. "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Galatians 2: 20

Looking around at 21st century Christianity, I don’t see any crucifixion. Everybody is willing to allow Christ to be crucified, but not willing to sacrifice anything themselves for the sake of the Kingdom. Today’s church is all about self fulfillment, realizing your potential, living your best life right here and now. Oh, we’ll sing a few “worship” songs, and tell Jesus how much we appreciate His sacrifice for us, but don’t ask me to really give anything up. They might be willing to drop a tip in the offering plate, but not many are willing to obey the command of Jesus who said, “"If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”

True worship is found in Romans 12:1 which says, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” You’re either serving yourself and your worldly desires or serving the Lord. You are free to do either one you want. But don’t be fooled, you can’t do both. I urge you brethren, present your lives as a living sacrifice to God which is your only reasonable worship, when you consider the sacrifice that He made for you.