I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a LIVING sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (Romans 12:1)
God takes pleasure in and accepts our sacrifices to Him. In the OT He gave detailed and specific instructions to His people how they were to give their sacrifices and offerings. He declared that these would be a “sweet savor” or “smooth aroma” to Him (Lev.1:13, 17). Once given, the offering was no longer their own – it belonged entirely to God. Furthermore, God would accept only the best they had to offer. It was an insult and offense to God if His people offered crippled sheep that were damaged or imperfect in any way.
God Himself met these standards of excellence for sacrifices when He offered up His own Son as the spotless Lamb. Only the death of His perfect Son was worthy enough to atone for the sins of mankind.
Today, God instructs us to lay down our lives on His altar as a LIVING sacrifice. We don’t offer dead sacrifices, but living ones – ourselves! They way we live our lives for God is our offering to Him. We should live righteously and holy before God, which is our REASONABLE service. Such a sacrificial life becomes “acceptable” to Him.
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