….present your bodies a living sacrifice,…. Romans 12:1b

Jesus became a living sacrifice. He left heaven, came to earth and became our Savior. Jesus broke the bread with his disciples during the last supper, explaining that his broken body would allow us to taste salvation. Indeed, He was broken for us to be blessed. 

What a blessing to read of Jesus vicarious sacrifice in Isaiah fifty-three. Despised and rejected, Jesus was a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief. Many fail to esteem Him, nonetheless He carried our sorrows and bore our grief. Stricken, smitten of God and afflicted Jesus took our place. Sinful sinners deserve punishment. For this reason, God sent Jesus, the only acceptable, sufficient sacrifice to wash our sins away. Each blow of the hand and each sharp strap that wrapped his body left Jesus battered, for our sake. 

Bruised for our iniquities, Jesus willingly took wounds for our transgressions. He was chastised with the stripes of Roman Soldiers, bringing peace and healing for our souls. His body was brutally beaten as each sharp stripe sunk deep into His torn flesh, exposing his bones, incidentally, leaving Him unrecognizable as a man. Damaged deeply Jesus took each stripe for our healing. 

Giving thanks, Jesus took the cup and told the disciples to drink all of it. The cup of redemption symbolized Jesus’ bloodshed for the remission of sins. He willingly presented Himself to please God and die on the cross to insure we might live through Him.

I beseech, or beg urgently, the first two words of Romans chapter twelve bids the reader to pay close attention, because something important follows. By the mercies of God, we are instructed to present ourselves a living sacrifice which is holy and acceptable unto God. Believers in Jesus have the Holy Spirit; henceforth, our manner of conduct is to offer ourselves to be used of God.  Furthermore, willingness to suffer loss, grief, injury, or to renounce our fleshly ideals or beliefs is small in comparison to Jesus’s willingness to give His life on the cross. Certainly, our surrender to serve God is holy, acceptable and reasonable. Jesus became a living sacrifice, will you?

WORDS OF TRUTH

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