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.

 

What does it mean to be a living sacrifice? It means that we have to give ourselves to God. We have to hand ourselves over to Him. To fully understand this we must understand the Sacrificial System of the Old Testament.

 

In old Testament times, the Israelites brought sacrificial animals to the Altar as a sacrifice, the animal was killed. It was sacrificed to God for their sins. When the man brought the animal for sacrifice and laid it on the Altar, it no longer belonged to him. He literally gave it to God. It now belonged to God.

 

This is what Paul was saying when he wrote present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God. We are to do the same as we lay ourselves on the Altar of God as a sacrifice.

 

The difference is that our bodies are not killed as a sacrifice to God. We become a living sacrifice to God for His Work. We voluntarily become God’s workforce to build His Kingdom. When we place ourselves on God’s Altar as a living sacrifice, we give ourselves to God. We no longer belong to ourselves. We now belong to God.

 

At this point, we don’t own ourselves. God owns us. We don’t direct our lives any longer. He directs us. He tells us what to say. He makes decisions for us. He tells us what to wear and where to work. He is our Lord and Master and we trust Him to provide. God is able to care for us much better than we care for ourselves.

 

This is what it means to give yourself over to God. It actually means to die to self and in trade, live for God. We must do this willingly. We do not do this out of fear or intimidation but through understanding and faith in Jesus Christ, we willingly give up our own life to live the Abundant Life Jesus died on the Cross for us to have.

 

To live as the new man, the old man must die and we must kill him ourselves. God's remedy for sin and corruption is Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. To live a life for Christ we must execute the old man. When we do, the new man will rise up in Righteousness and Holiness. God’s solution is execution.

 

Execute the old man and God will……….turn the tide……..in your life!

 

Made new,         Doreen

 

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